Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version
by Engelcross
Summary: As the world is caught in the turmoil of war, evil forces plot its demise. Beneath the facade of hatred that is Bloody Valentine, a group of five individuals embarks on the ascension towards godly power. A battle for their lives and sanity unravels, as the children struggle to find their place in a world ruled by cruelty.
1. Breaking Skies

A/N: I've a bit of spare time, so I decided to do a bit of quality control work on my previous chapters. Hopefully they would be an easier read from now on.

* * *

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-01: Breaking Skies

**25 January, CE 71**

"_Ladies and gentlemen," _the cool voice of the captain for shuttle flight ES-571 resonated throughout the entire cabin, _"it is my pleasure to announce our arrival at Heliopolis Commercial Spaceport …"_

Almost simultaneously, the passengers sprang up from their seats, eager as they were to put as much distance between themselves and the shuttle as possible. Such were the typical hostile reactions to long-haul flights like the ES-571, where commuters could spend as much as twenty hours on board.

"… _We hope you've enjoyed your flight, and wish you a pleasant stay in Heliopolis, space colony of the future," _concluded the captain. The air stewards and stewardesses were all lined up by the exits, bright smiles all around as they bowed goodbye to their passengers. It was a testament to their professionalism that not a single shred of fatigue accumulated over the past fifteen hours showed on their faces.

It was only when the cabin was nearly empty that fifteen-year-old Ikari Shinji got up from his seat, a small black backpack in tow. As Shinji traversed down the gangway he consulted his phone, a brand new Samsung model that he had purchased just three weeks ago.

There was a message in Shinji's inbox that had been flagged by the sender as VIM (Very Important Message). Shinji selected the message, which opens in another window:

* * *

From: Ikari Gendo (ikari_rokubungi_gendo)

To: Ikari Shinji (shinji55)

Subject: COME!

Ikari Shinji:

You are to report to Heliopolis Commercial Spaceport on the twenty-fifth of January. You will find, attached to this e-mail, your boarding pass and ticket for shuttle flight ES-571, due to leave Kaguya Space Centre at 2345 hours on the twenty-fourth of January. Due to be sent to your address will be your security pass needed to enter NERV facilities. Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato will be there at Heliopolis Commercial to intercept you. Do not be late.

This is a computer-generated message; no signature is required.

NERV: God's in His Heaven. All's right with the World

* * *

Following the message above was one by the aforementioned 'Katsuragi Misato', flagged as a VVIM (Very Very Important Message):

* * *

From: Katsuragi Misato (penpenpen)

To: Ikari Shinji (shinji55)

Subject: Hello!

Dear Shinji:

Hi there! My name's Katsuragi Misato, the person you're supposed to meet at Heliopolis Commercial on the 25th. I suppose I owe you a little intro: I am from NERV, a LTC (that's short for Lieutenant-Colonel), but don't let my rank get to you. I'm not going to tell you how old I am, but my birthday is on 8 December — hint hint!

Anyway, I know that this might all be a shock for you, with my boss pulling you here all the way from Orb in such short notice, but I assure you, Heliopolis is a cool place. If there is time, maybe you'd like to go on a little tour before I bring you to NERV proper?

Hope you enjoy your flight, and see you on the 25th! (I'll be waiting near Gate 25 at Arrivals, don't forget!)

Regards,

Katsuragi Misato

P.S. I have attached a little photo of myself to this message; it might help when we're looking for each other!

* * *

Shinji switched over to the phone gallery, where Katsuragi Misato's photo was downloaded to. The digital image showed a heart-stoppingly attractive young woman with navy blue hair, crouched in a rather suggestive position that seemed to be intended at accentuating her voluptuous bodily assets. With a wink she said _Hi there, Shinji! _in a cute curly script scribbled with a digital stylus onto the photo itself.

Shinji made it past Immigrations in under twenty minutes; such was the brutal efficiency that was one of the many reasons why Heliopolis Commercial was continuously named Spaceport of the Year by tourists, Natural and Coordinator alike, annually. Before he knew it, Shinji found himself outside Gate 25 in the Arrivals hall, where Misato had said she would be waiting.

She would not be difficult to spot, even in the crowd. Few people had hair in such a vivid shade of ultramarine as hers, though whether it was natural or dyed, Shinji couldn't tell. He scanned the Arrivals hall briefly and spotted Misato almost immediately, leaning against the security rail, thoughtful expression on her face.

Shinji hesitated, then raised his hand in a small wave. Misato, catching sight of Shinji, perked up and broke out into a wide smile. She began moving towards him in a purposeful stride, her right hand waving back in reply.

"Good afternoon!" Misato said in a cheery tone. "You must be Ikari Shinji."

Shinji nodded, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "Miss Katsuragi?" he asked apprehensively, feeling bashful. With her features amplified by reality, Misato looks even more exhilaratingly beautiful than her digital counterpart.

A short silky ebony dress hugged Misato's athletic body, while a sky blue blazer draped off her shoulders. A minute crucifix encircled around her neck, the lone tiny diamond encrusted on it sparkling under the subtle ambience light of the spaceport. Misato was every bit the siren in her photo, and Shinji in his rumpled shirt and baggy school trousers suddenly felt like an ant. A worker ant.

Misato winked. "You can call me Misato," she said. "How was your flight?"

"Uh, OK, I think," Shinji said shyly.

"Nope, I don't think so," Misato concluded. "Based on my experience, nobody's ever OK after a fifteen hour-long space flight. You look like you need lunch — badly."

"I ate during the flight —"

Misato made a face. "You'd actually call that rubbish _lunch_?" she said incredulously.

"Uh …" Truth was, Shinji could not afford any of the fancy restaurants and cafés here at Heliopolis Commercial. "Erm …" It became a struggle to get the right words out.

It was as if Misato could read minds, for she said, "Don't worry, you won't have to pay a single cent. It's all on me!"

"N-no, how can I?"

"Don't be too uptight!" And with that, Misato took over Shinji's luggage. "OK, if I remember correctly, this is your first time at Heliopolis, right?"

Shinji nodded.

"Well, let me assure you that in the Spaceport of the Year for the sixth time running here, you'd be spoilt rotten for choice," Misato declared. "There's Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Indian, even Mexican. Which do you prefer?"

"I —"

Shinji wasn't able to finish his sentence, because at that moment all hell broke loose.

* * *

_Rumble._

It began as a tremor. For one long spine-chilling moment, the entire spaceport shook, and little grains of dust tumbled towards the ground. Shinji started to wobble, but then a strong arm wrapped round his shoulder, steadying him.

The arm belonged to Misato, the cheery expression on her face long gone. Her eyes darted left and right warily, her body poised to strike.

Shinji looked around in confusion as the trembling ceases. _An earthquake? _he thought to himself.

_No, stupid. _They were in _Heliopolis_, an isolated ecosphere in outer space with a climate regulated by an AI. Here, storms were unheard of, let alone tremors.

Turbulence hit the spaceport once again, this time with a heightened ferocity. People screamed, and things toppled from shelves and mantelpieces to the floor, with the more fragile pieces smashing into smithereens.

There was no respite this time. Abruptly, everyone was thrown into a fiery hell.

_**BOOM!**_

A large fireball engulfed one entire section of the spaceport, the explosion reverberating throughout the entire complex, shattering windows and plasma displays. The sheer force of the detonation flung many hapless commuters to their feet, and immediately the entire Arrivals hall erupted in an orgy of panicked screams and shrieks.

From amidst the billowing clouds of dust and smoke a gargantuan green humanoid emerged, its lone pink eye swivelling in a socket that stretched the diameter of its semi-circular head. One hand gripped an ebony rifle, while hilt of a nastily large blade protruded from the other side.

Misato gasped. "It's a GINN!" The GINNs were a class of mass-production mobile suits that formed the backbone of the Coordinator military's combat force, ZAFT — **Z**odiac **A**lliance of **F**reedom **T**reaty. Towering above everyone at a height of twenty-two metres, at almost eight storeys, the GINN was a fearsome war machine, one that had turned the tide of the concurrent war.

It was also painfully obvious what its intentions were, from the way it had made its grand entrance.

"Shinji!" Misato yelled as the GINN began its rampage. "We got to go!" She half-dragged, half-shoved the shell-shocked Shinji towards the exit, fighting the panicking throngs of commuters to be the first to reach the glass doors.

The GINN raised and cocked its assault rifle, and it exploded — _POM POM POM _— projectiles spewing out and hitting random targets all about in the spaceport, disintegrating whatever they hit instantly.

Another explosion tore through the air, the violent shockwave sweeping Misato and Shinji off their feet. Shinji yelped as his elbow scraped across the rough gravel, but the pitiful sound was immediately swallowed by the unravelling pandemonium.

A _second_ GINN then surfaced, its weapon flaring with abandon, hitting shops, furniture, _people_. Shinji struggled to get on his feet, but then collapsed back as white-hot pain stabbed at his ankle. "Mi-Misato!" he called out in fear, for he had lost sight of her amidst the stampeding crush.

"Don't worry, I'm here," Misato said, her reassuring voice just right beside Shinji's ear. Single-handedly she looped his arm around her shoulder and hoisted him up. "Can you walk?"

"I'll try!" Shinji cried out, desperation overflowing from his voice.

Misato pointed at a silver sedan just a few metres away in the open-air carpark. "That's my car," she urged. "Just a bit more, then we can get the hell out of here."

To Shinji, however, the short distance felt like miles. As he limped across the road, a deadly horde of projectiles seared through the air overhead, rendering the entire spaceport complex into one blazing hellhole. All around Shinji and Misato everything was crumbling apart, people were dying.

Shinji scrunched his eyes up, tears running down his dirt-streaked face as he tried his best to ignore the excruciating screams and shrieks echoing all about. Only when his hands felt cold hard metal then his eyes flickered open; it was Misato's sports sedan, a sleek Porsche gleaming under Heliopolis' artificial sun.

Misato tore open the doors and flung Shinji's luggage inside, finger already jabbing the starter button even as Shinji scrambled in. The surface of the starter read Misato's fingerprint, and once the Porsche's onboard computer had ascertained Misato's identity the embedded LED flashed green. The car's frame trembled slightly, as the powerful engine hummed into life.

"Ready?" Misato said.

"Uh —" Shinji was still fumbling with his seat belt.

"Off we go, then!" Misato floored the accelerator. Shinji yelled in fright as the Porsche surged ahead enthusiastically, causing him to lurch forward and ram his nose on the dashboard.

THUD.

"OUCH!"

"Are you alright?" Misato turned to Shinji. "Fasten your seat belt, Shinji!"

"In front!" screamed Shinji as an explosion sent a large truck gambolling down the road towards them —

"I got it, I got it," Misato said, the expression on her face the epitome of calmness. "Hold on tight!" She gave the steering wheel a swift jerk, the Porsche's engine purring as it swerved to the right and dodged the amok truck nimbly.

Shinji gave a moan as the car finally resumed a normal trajectory, cruising further and further away from Heliopolis Commercial.

"Enjoying the ride, Shinji?" she said, winking at Shinji.

"Keep your eyes on the road, please!" Shinji begged. Grinning, Misato turned her eyes back to the windshield.

Shinji leant back in the leather seat, panting, adrenaline still pumping across his veins. His eardrums were ringing, what with the earth-shattering explosions, manic firing of weapons, and the screams of people as the fire consumed them —

The Porsche stopped abruptly; Shinji was then aware of a hand on his. "Chill, Shinji," Misato said. "You're hyperventilating."

Shinji groaned, and Misato rubbed his shoulder. Gulping, he tried to concentrate. It was quiet now — they must have travelled quite a distance from the spaceport. Looking around, he saw that they were on an empty street.

Misato's radio was turned on. _"The Heliopolis administration is, as of now, issuing a Code Yellow alert," _the speakers blared. _"All Heliopolis citizens, please remain calm and standby for evacuation. I repeat —"_ Misato switched the radio off.

"Feeling better now?" she said in a gentle tone to Shinji.

"Be-better," Shinji stammered. His chest was still heaving, but at least he was not shaking so badly now. Misato handed Shinji a water bottle from the glove compartment.

"Have a sip; your lips are cracking."

"Th-thanks."

The water was ice-cold. After breathing in all that smoke and dust during the firefight, the frigid fluid felt like heaven to Shinji. "Your first time?" Misato asked as Shinji drank hungrily. "Seeing the war first hand."

Shinji gulped. "Not really," he said quietly.

"Huh?"

"It was a few months ago …" Shinji explained. "The Shindokan terrorist attack."

"You were there?" Misato gasped, her eyes wide. Shinji nodded numbly. Late last year, Blue Cosmos terrorists had attempted an attack during the annual EBS _Kohaku Uta Gassen_ live telecast event at the Shindokan Dome over at the Orb mainland.

"Why did they attack?" he said. "Isn't Heliopolis neutral, like Orb?"

"We can only guess," Misato said quietly. "Maybe they've finally decided to stop pretending we didn't exist."

It was then that the small LCD above the air-conditioning unit flashed into life. Shinji caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking symbol: the crimson half-fig insignia of NERV, the same one that had marked Gendo's VIM to him. The screen then dissolved, and Ikari Gendo's face came up on the screen.

Shinji froze, but Gendo did not appear to have noticed him. "Lieutenant-Colonel," Gendo said. "What's your status?"

"Shinji's with me now; we're safe and sound," Misato said. "We're currently taking the pre-planned route towards Icarus Two."

Gendo gave a small nod. "Right," he said. "We'll see you over at the facility shortly. Command, over and out."

Shinji was silent as they resumed their journey. "Erm, Shinji?" Misato said abruptly, her voice awkward-sounding. "Do you know where we are going?"

"We're going to NERV, aren't we?" Shinji replied. "That's what my father told me …"

"Know anything about NERV?"

Shinji thought for a while. "Well, I know its name," he mumbled.

Misato chuckled. "Of course you do. Anything else?"

"Not really," Shinji said miserably. "My father works there, doesn't he?"

Misato nodded her head. "You know what he does?"

Shinji looked away. "I'm … not really sure. He never told me, anyway. My uncle did tell me it is something important, about protecting Orb."

"Spot on, Shinji. NERV is an organisation comprising of many people doing that one thing, protecting people. To be precise, your father _leads _NERV."

"What about you?"

"I'm Head of Operations," Misato said with a wink. "I direct field operations."

"Misato, do you …" Shinji paused. "Do you know why my father called me down here? To Heliopolis, I mean."

Misato hesitated, and a look flashed momentarily across her face — what is it? Fear? Discomfort? — before she said, "There is something, according to Commander Ikari, that he needs you to see."

"Something for me to see?" There was a confused look on Shinji's face. "Do you know what, Misato?"

"I ..." Misato's eyes darted back and forth for one short second, before returning to the road, "... don't know."

"I see ..." Shinji bowed his head. "It doesn't matter, though. My father must need me to do something for him. There won't be any other reason."

"Really?" Misato asked, detecting the bitterness in Shinji's voice. "You got a poor relationship with your father?"

Shinji kept silent.

"Me too," Misato said, her face bearing a faraway expression. Shinji blinked in surprise, but she did not say anything else.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Misato said after a while. "Did your father send you an ID?"

Shinji nodded, fishing it out from his wallet to show it to Misato. "Is this the one?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Misato answered. "Don't lose it; the place we're going to is pretty-high security."

"Where are we headed?"

"A Morgenroete hangar facility," Misato said. Morgenroete Incorporated, or Morgenroete for short, is the name of the semi-nationalised munitions company contracted with Orb's Ministry of Defence. "Icarus Two. It is where the _Archangel_ is located."

"_ARCHANGLE —?" _Shinji blabbered.

"Arch-ANGEL," Misato corrected. "It is a ship, a space battleship. It is where we'll meet your father."

"I see ..."

The Porsche grinded to a halt at a red light. Misato reached behind, and plucked out a briefcase from the backseat. Unclipping the latch, she fished out a thick, dog-eared document from inside, which she handed over to Shinji.

"Here you go," Misato said. "It's an information dossier. I know the front says 'classified', but I prepared this for you. It will tell you more about NERV and the stuff we do, so at least you'll be prepared. We've probably less than ten minutes before we reach our destination, but try to read as much as you can, alright?"

Nodding, Shinji flipped the first page and began to read the tiny print.

* * *

The Icarus Two hangar facility was a mammoth compound, linked to Johaku Technological University's engineering faculty. As the Porsche cruised past, Shinji sees Morgenroete personnel and students alike scurrying all about. Just a while ago the Heliopolis administration had passed the Code Red alert — total evacuation into the colony's mobile shelters.

"Where's the _Archangel_?" Shinji asked.

Misato grinned, in spite of the circumstances. "Not anywhere here," she said. "_Underground_." She turned a bend, and a steel barricade bearing Morgenroete's emblem loomed before them.

A guard sauntered up to the Porsche. "Halt," he began.

Misato flashed an ID. "LTC Katsuragi Misato, NERV. With me is Ikari Shinji, the commander's son."

"Good morning, Mr Ikari. Do you have any identification?"

Shinji handed over his NERV pass, which the guard slid under a UV scanner.

"Well, all seems to be in order," the guard said promptly as he handed Shinji back his ID. "Ma'am, would you kindly drive your vehicle through the metal detector."

The Porsche passed the test, and Misato eased her car into an elevator. With a pneumatic hiss the doors slid close, and they began their descent.

The first thing Shinji saw was the turret, a gargantuan cannon with the barrel pointed at the elevator. And then he saw that there were_ two_ of those guns. Gulping, he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"Don't worry, the Gottfried cannons aren't armed … yet," Misato said, with a grin on her face. "Those guns are one of the _Archangel_'s main weapons; at maximum power they can tear through Heliopolis' hull."

As the elevator continued downwards the full glory of the _Archangel_ emerged into sight. A silver titan was what loomed before Misato's tiny Porsche, with gigantic conduits latched on to different parts of its massive chassis, heavyset cables that seemed like magical reins tethering a mythical beast to the earth. Apart from her cannons, the _Archangel_ still appeared benign, but with her massive arsenal concealed in pods embedded all throughout theher titanium alloy hull, she was a napping dragon, claws and immolating flames ready to strike and burn at the slightest hint of provocation.

"Well, Shinji?" Misato turned, chuckling at Shinji's awe-struck face. "What do you think?"

"It's … scary," Shinji whispered.

"It has to be," Misato said. "The things that NERV will be fighting against are much scarier."

"You mean ... the Angels?" It was the single most common term Shinji had come across while reading Misato's dossier.

"Yeah."

"Have you seen an Angel before?"

"Nope," Misato began chewing her lip as she answered. "None of us has ever seen an Angel before. We've yet to fight even the first one."

"But …" Shinji struggled with his words. "Why do they want to fight? What's their purpose?"

"That … I suppose only your father knows, doesn't he?" Misato shrugged. "As for me, I only need to concentrate on destroying those monsters before they cause any harm."

The elevator jerked to a stop and Misato steered her Porsche out. "Where are we going now?" Shinji asked.

"The _Archangel_'s hangar. I'll be parking my car there," Misato said. "Two of our machines are aboard already. They are top secret, though, so you're not allowed to see them. We'll have to take a little detour when we alight."

A few turns, and they ended up in an alcove at mid-level of the cavernous hangar where there were parking spaces marked out by luminous stickers pressed onto the metal floor. Misato eased her Porsche into a vacant lot, and stopped the engine.

"Where to, now?" Shinji wondered out aloud.

"The bridge," Misato replied. She hesitated before continuing, "I think your father is there already."

Shinji nodded numbly.

Misato put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Let's go." They headed to a nearby lift lobby, and took a lift up.

It was as if Time itself had sped up. In a blinking of an eye, Shinji found himself standing right before the entrance to the _Archangel_'s bridge. All of a sudden his heart began to race, the fluttering in his stomach intensifying.

Misato squeezed Shinji's hand. "Come on, Shinji," she said softly. She took a step forwards, and the automatic twin steel doors slid open —

The air was ripped from both Misato and Shinji's lungs as hellfire consumed the underground hangar in which the _Archangel_ rested, spawned by numerous charges planted by a clandestine ZAFT team all round the Icarus Two facility just fifteen minutes ago. The shockwaves surged onwards, blowing its foundations apart as if they were made of sand.

Shinji's world flipped upside down, and he stumbled forwards, cracking his head against the metal wall. As his consciousness faded, the last thing he saw was Misato crumpling to the floor just a few metres away.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-02: Void Treaty


	2. Void Treaty

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-02: Void Treaty

**25 January, CE 71**

_Nudge._

Shinji's eyes flashed open. He was suddenly, painfully, aware of his surroundings, of the harsh icy steel floor biting into his skin, of the windowless corridor in which he laid. The greenish pallor of the emergency lights, however, was something that he did not recognise.

"Wh-what happened?" Shinji asked, to no one in particular, blearily.

"Shh." A tapered finger pressed onto Shinji's lips. It was Misato, knelt down on one knee, handgun in hand. Shinji swallowed nervously at the sight of the weapon.

"What's going on?" Shinji mouthed.

"The explosions, remember? Somebody attacked the facility."

"Who?"

"I'm not sure," Misato said grimly. "The power is down, and I think part of the hangar has collapsed, but we're protected inside the _Archangel_, so no worries." She extended a hand to Shinji, and hauled him to his feet.

"What are we going to do?"

"The enemy might still be in the vicinity," Misato explained. "Wait here." She darted stealthily towards the bridge, squeezing nimbly through the gap between the jammed steel doors. Shinji waited with bated breath, not daring to even scratch, when suddenly —

"_You can't be serious!" _The fallout from Misato's scream spilled from the steel doors and out into the corridor.

_Misato!_ Instinct pulled Shinji through the doors, and into the _Archangel_'s bridge.

The bridge, Shinji saw, was a multi-levelled complex that spanned three levels. The doorway through which Shinji had entered opened up to the middle level, to a vast window encompassing the entire length of the far wall, one that showed in full view the sheer desolation inflicted upon the underground hangar following the explosions.

Standing in front of Shinji was Misato, crouched and ready to fire her weapon.

Shinji's eyes shot forward, and he saw a group of uniformed personnel, all huddled together with their eyes trained warily on Misato's weapon. Their uniform struck Shinji as familiar; he had seen it before, it's all over the news and papers …

_OMNI! _**O**ppose **M**ilitancy and **N**eutralise **I**nvasion — the name of the Earth Alliance coalition's armed forces, a conglomeration of the militaries, navies and air forces of different nations. The soldiers before Shinji donned the Atlantic Federation Navy version, white vests belted over identically coloured trousers and skirts.

_But … why are they here? _The United Emirates of Orb's policy of complete neutrality dictated that no factions participating in the current war can ever enter the country, be it the mainland on Earth or the Heliopolis colony in space. Either the OMNI soldiers had forced their way in, or someone let them.

Misato seemed to believe the former. "Sure, you can explain why there are Earth Alliance officers inside an _Orb _warship, can't you?" she snarled. "Why don't you try?"

"What do you mean, this is an Orb ship?" One of the officers, a young woman glaring at Misato with hawkish eyes, stepped forth. Although her peaked cap concealed much of her ebony hair, Misato can see that it was cropped short, reaching down to only half her neck length. _A no nonsense woman, _Misato realised. Women who had adopted such hairstyles generally intended to intimidate and, of course, shut people out. _She may have the looks, but I bet she's still single._

"The _Archangel_ was constructed by Morgenroete for us, an Orb-based organisation, so naturally it's an Orb warship, isn't it?" Misato countered. "Let me guess, you guys planted the bombs all over the damn hangar, and then hijacked this ship, didn't you? What a smart plan — now we can't get out of here!"

"We did absolutely nothing of that sort," the female officer snapped angrily. "As far as we know, we came to Heliopolis to take what is rightfully ours."

Misato opened her mouth to make a counter-statement, but another voice interrupted her. "She's right," said the voice.

Shinji froze, for that voice was familiar — horribly familiar.

_Father?_

It was indeed Ikari Gendo, this time in person, looming over everyone else from the topmost level of the bridge. He looked the worse for wear, though, with his glasses cracked and multiple grazes and bruises littering his body. His jacket was in tatters, and one of his legs had no shoe.

"Commander!" Misato tapped a hand to her forehead in a salute. "I … what happened?"

"It would appear that our little detour to Morgenroete's Icarus One facility was a fatal mistake," Gendo replied, his tone dispassionate. "ZAFT was there as well."

"ZAFT?"

"The attack on Heliopolis Commercial, and here as well, is apparently a distraction. What they really wanted was Icarus One." Gendo turned to face the OMNI officers. "Based on what we witnessed there, I have no reason to doubt that it was _they _who brought ZAFT down to Heliopolis."

"_Us?"_ the female officer burst out furiously. "On what grounds do you —"

"Yes, you. After all, who are the owners of the machines that ZAFT stole from Icarus One?"

"Stole?" The officer's eyes widened.

"Commander," Misato cut in. "If you would please explain —"

"Ownership of the _Archangel_ was changed at the last minute," Gendo said. "As of now, this ship is registered under OMNI Enforcer."

"I — _what? _How is that possible?"

"We're not sure yet. Professor Akagi is checking Morgenroete's records now, to see when the change took place." Gendo adjusted his glasses. "It is still too early to rule out interference from Orb, or even SEELE, yet, though —"

"_Stop ignoring us!" _the female officer thundered. Gasps rang throughout the bridge as she pulled out a handgun from beneath her vest and aimed the barrel at Gendo's chest.

"We're civilians," Gendo said coldly. "Are you going to shoot civilians?"

"Civilians? Stop spouting nonsense. Would a civilian commission a _warship_?"

"Mercenaries carry weapons," Gendo said, "but they are not classified as military personnel."

"What machines did ZAFT steal from Icarus One?" the officer said threateningly. "Tell me!"

"You should know that very well yourself, shouldn't you?" Gendo said calmly. "Or do you mean to say that you've _another_ secret project running down there?"

Secret project? In Orb's space colony Heliopolis? For the _Earth Alliance_? Misato could not believe her ears. If what Gendo said was true, then Orb's neutrality policies were nothing more than useless sheets of paper. The Coordinators' trust in the administration would be irrevocably shattered.

"It is as you fear," Gendo continued relentlessly. "Your experimental mobile suits have fallen into ZAFT's hands."

"Mobile suits?" Misato whispered, not daring to believe what her commander had said. _Orb was making weapons for the Earth Alliance._

"Yes," Gendo said. "The Earth Alliance intended the _Archangel_ to be a support craft to complement their prototype mobile suits, the _G weapons_, or so they named their pet project. Morgenroete was the company OMNI had contracted to build those prototypes. Earlier, ZAFT broke into Icarus One and made off with them."

A loud _clang_ echoed across the bridge as the handgun tumbled from the female officer's hand and hit the metal floor. She collapsed into a nearby seat, and buried her face in her hands.

"We're done for," she choked, her voice desolate. "Those mobile suits were our last hope."

"This unforeseen circumstance has serious implications for us," Gendo said impassively. "I'd need to discuss our options with my subordinates. All of you in OMNI uniform, get out. Now."

Quailing under Gendo's intense stare, the OMNI soldiers hauled the female officer to her feet and scarpered out of the bridge. When they were out of sight Misato whirled around to Gendo. "Commander," she began. "Regarding the _Archangel_, what should we do?"

"Our top priority is getting the EVAs back to Orb. Without the _Archangel_, that would be impossible."

"So you're suggesting …"

"That's right," Gendo said. "An impasse. We fly the _Archangel_ and the EVAs to Orb, whether OMNI likes it or not. Of course, you will remain captain."

All this time, Shinji lurked in a corner, watching the events of the earlier confrontation unfold, and being completely ignored. Throughout the entire conversation with Misato, Gendo did not even bat an eye in Shinji's direction. It … it was as if he had never existed.

"What would those officers say?"

"They have no choice in that matter. Here in Heliopolis, they have nowhere to turn to. Their main crew was killed when ZAFT attacked their transport ship a few hours ago. They need us, if they ever want to escape Heliopolis."

Misato sighed. "I suppose so."

"If there are no other problems, I'll be meeting with the OMNI officers now," Gendo said. "In the meantime, wait here for Lieutenant Aoba and the rest. They will be joining you shortly."

Misato saluted in reply. "Yes, sir," she said. Then she moved over to Shinji's side. "And, sir … I've brought Shinji. He's safe and sound."

"Good," Gendo said, dipping his head. "I thank you for the hard work. You may bring him to the lounge." He then spun on his heels and stalked out of the bridge.

An awkward silence followed. "Uhh, Shinji," Misato said, her voice a tad uncomfortable. "Sorry about just now … you must have thought we forgot you. There was … simply too much going on then."

"It's OK," Shinji said in a quiet voice.

"So, erm, would you like to head over to the lounge now?" Misato flustered.

_She's getting rid of me, _Shinji thought. "OK," he said.

Misato frowned. "Actually, I've a better idea," she said abruptly. "Have you seen a warship launch before, Shinji?"

"Huh?" Shinji perked up. "N … no."

"Would you like to watch, then?" Misato asked. "It's quite exciting, you know."

"Uh, I …" Shinji hesitated. "OK. But … is it alright?"

"Why would it not be?"

"Um, because I'm not allowed to?"

Misato smiled, ruffling Shinji's hair. "You've already seen so much, what's the harm in seeing more?"

* * *

"Oh, gosh," Misato groaned as the OMNI officers filed into the bridge. "Here comes the party."

They all looked shaken, the officers, the expressions on their faces telling of utter defeat. Misato did not know whether to feel sorry for or maintain her anger. They were, after all, ultimately the reason behind the devastating ZAFT blitz on Heliopolis, and the people who conveniently destroyed her belief that Orb was the one place in this turbulent world she could call home.

But they were also the people who had lost nearly all of their assets and comrades in one sitting. Orb might be a land of peace, but Misato was not blind to the developments across the rest of the world. Although they tried their best to hide it from the general populace, the Earth Alliance was slowly, but steadily, losing the war against the Coordinators. The stolen prototypes were, perhaps, really their only hope against the ravenous ZAFT war machine.

The female officer strode up to Misato, with what Misato recognised as an abridged version of a NERV dossier in her hand. "Greetings to you … _Lieutenant-Colonel_," she said stiffly. "I'm Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel of the Atlantic Federation Navy's Eighth Fleet."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Your commander has … _briefed _us," Natarle said flatly. "The _Archangel_ will be making a detour to Orb, first, after which we will take over."

And Misato realised with a pang that a crucial aspect of NERV's anti-Angel capabilities would be gone by then. "What about your crew?" she asked. Or rather, the lack of it.

"That," Natarle answered, "is our own problem."

"Alright, then." Misato glanced over at Natarle's colleagues. "I assume you were the captain of the ship?"

"No," Natarle said tonelessly. "Most of us here are CIC specialists."

"I see. Now how about if your comrades do a little self-intro? It will make things more convenient."

Natarle nodded, and gestured for the rest of her subordinates to come forward.

A tall and lean man with flat ultramarine hair saluted, saying, "Chief Petty Officer, Arnold Neumann. I am the _Archangel_'spilot."

Next up was a man taller than Neumann by nearly a head, with paler skin and narrower eyes. "The name's Jackie Tonomura, Chief Petty Officer, Second Grade."

The third member looked the shortest, with curly brown hair. "Dalida Lolaha Chandra the Second here," he said. "I specialise in the _Archangel_'s weapons systems."

The last person was a heavyset man with blond hair. He gave a nimble salute as he introduced himself: "Romero Pal, Chief Petty Officer."

"Right." Misato nodded. "I suppose I owe you all an introduction also. I am Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato of NERV, captain of the _Archangel_. I don't think it's wise to say _nice to meet you all_, but I do hope for everyone's cooperation for the journey ahead."

"We understand," Natarle said curtly.

Misato then asked, "What will your plans be, Lieutenant Badgiruel? After Orb, that is."

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out," Natarle said, poker face intact. "But rest assured that we will get back what's ours."

Misato sighed. "If you say so, then."

Natarle gave a tight nod. "If you excuse us, we will head to our posts."

It was then that the emergency lights flicker, and then died completely, shrouding everyone in darkness. Shinji yelped in fright, but half a second later a sharp _bzzt_ rang loud, and subsequently white fluorescence flooded the room. There was a pneumatic hiss, as the twin doors to the bridge, previously jammed, slid shut.

_The power is back. _Misato's heart leapt. _We can launch now._

The doors hissed open again, and several more uniformed personnel file into the bridge, three in total. "Maya, Makoto, Shigeru!" Misato bellowed to NERV's bridge lieutenants. "Ready to rock and roll?"

Ibuki Maya, Hyuga Makoto, and Aoba Shigeru all snapped into salutes simultaneously. "Ever ready, Ma'am!" Shigeru called out.

"Then get to your seats!"

"Yes, captain!" Then they froze, eyeballs fixed on the OMNI officers. The air in the bridge consequently got harder to breathe.

"As you can see here," Misato explained hurriedly, gesturing over to Natarle and her men, "we've some newcomers. No doubt you've already been briefed by Commander Ikari — they will be with us until we return to Orb."

"So it's them, isn't it?" Shigeru said coldly. "Heliopolis' harbingers."

Natarle flashed the NERV lieutenant a glare, tight lipped. It was the truth, after all, no matter how you looked at it.

"Hurry up to your posts," Misato said, her voice firm. There would be time for confrontations later.

She then turned to Shinji. "Grab a seat, and fasten your seat belts," Misato said, winking. "We've one hell of a ride coming right up!"

* * *

The planted charges that detonated earlier had caused a good part of the underground hangar to collapse, the rubble consequently obstructing access to the surface launch pad.

According to Gendo, the ZAFT troopers and GINNs had retreated when they procured what they attacked Heliopolis for: the Earth forces' G weapons. The attack on Heliopolis Commercial was apparently a mere diversion, and the one against the _Archangel_ to eliminate any chance of pursuit and retaliation by OMNI.

ZAFT's blitzkrieg was successful on all fronts, but they hadn't factored NERV's presence into their strategy. Against all odds, the _Archangel_ would still be able to launch, and she would, sooner or later, return to the hands of the Earth forces. What had been intended as a shield to protect humanity, Misato realised with a pang, would become yet another harbinger of destruction.

And so it was with a heavy heart that Misato issued the command: "_Archangel_, initiate mainframe start-up. Systems check — Maya, report."

Across the bridge screens flickered into life, streams of data and charts flowing across the plasma. The _Archangel_'s computers began the first round of diagnostics, scanning its internal systems for any anomalies.

"Hull, sensors and interception systems functional."

"OK." Misato paused. "Weapons, radio — Chandra, you're up."

"CIWS, main turrets, Lohengrin, all up and running. Hang on a bit for the radio, it needs some tweaking …" Static filled the air as Chief Petty Chandra reconfigured the ship's communications systems. "Radio's operating fine across all channels."

"Good. Are there any signals directed to us?"

"Hang on, ma'am, I'm getting something —"

"You are?" Misato said, surprised. "Put it on the speakers."

_BZZT! _The message was barely audible above the deafening static:

"… _Strike … here … bzzt! Earth forces … respond … bzzt! …"_

Natarle rose from her seat. "Determine the source of that broadcast!" she barked.

Misato whirls around. "Survivors?"

"Possibly." There was hope in Natarle's voice, even as she tried to keep it as steady as possible. "Chandra! Have you found it?"

"Not yet, ma'am!" Sweat shone in the chief petty's brow. "I'm trying to trace it, but it's going to take a while."

"Work on it," Misato instructed. "In the meantime, commence launch sequence. Makoto, are we good to go?"

The bespectacled lieutenant hitched a thumbs-up. "Ship reactors primed and ready, captain!"

Misato nodded in acknowledgement. To the bridge she called out, "_Archangel_, start all engines!"

Like a dragon rising from hibernation the _Archangel_'squad-drive hydrogen engines ignited with a growing rumble, sending a slight tremor coursing through her massive frame. "Eliminate the following phases from launch sequence," Misato commanded. "C-56, YT-333, R-007. Priority is to get the hell out of here ASAP."

"T-minus twenty to launch!"

"That's too long!" Misato countered. "Direct power from the conduits to the reactors; we can energise the fuel flow." Prior to launch, the _Archangel _had been connected to the Heliopolis power grid to charge up its internal batteries. Now that the cells were full, Misato diverted the power flow to the engines, which would raise the hydrogen reactors' temperature and allow them to skip the warming-up phase almost entirely.

"Launch sequence cut short to T-minus four." Four minutes till the _Archangel _was ready for flight.

"How do you propose we make our exit, captain?" Natarle asked from her command post down at the CIC, her voice bearing a slight taunting edge to it. The OMNI officer had been suppressing her emotions right from the start, but Misato could tell that she was bitter at having to play second fiddle to her.

"We will charge up the Lohengrin," Misato replied nonchalantly. The Lohengrin was the _Archangel_'s single most powerful weapon: a set of two positron blaster cannons, located at twin shafts at the forward end of the massive warship. Requiring two and a half minutes to prime, the use of the Lohengrin cannons was generally limited to outer space because of the potential radioactive fallout following firing, though in this case there was little choice in that matter.

"T-minus zero to launch sequence!"

"Are we ready?" Misato barked.

"Yes, captain!"

"Very well —" Misato jabbed a button on the console attached to her seat, activating the public announcement system.

"_All crew, this is Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, captain of the _Archangel_," _Misato enunciates into the receiver set. _"The ship will be launching now; all crew please brace for sudden impact and possible damage to the ship." _Putting down the receiver, Misato then turned to the bridge:

"— _Archangel_, launch!"

* * *

Shinji felt it, sheer power coursing through the _Archangel_'s hull as her gargantuan thrusters erupted into life. Ever so slowly, she inched forward, so smoothly that if he didn't know better, Shinji would not have realised the ship had even moved at all.

"Lohengrin cannons charged up and ready to fire!"

"There are two doors that we need to bypass, so we will fire one cannon at a time," Misato commanded. "When I give the order, fire Lohengrin One."

The first heavyset barrier was up ahead, illuminated by the ship's floodlights. The explosions had warped it irreparably, and burn marks slashed across its surface. A scream pierced the air as a body floated up in full view of the bridge.

So mangled and charred was the corpse, that Shinji could no longer even tell whether it was a man or woman.

"It's one of the Morgenroete workers," Misato said quietly. "Keep your head together, Maya; we'll be out of here soon."

The corpse drifted away, just as Misato gave the order:

"Lohengrin One, fire!"

There was a blinding flash, and even with the multiple protective coatings layered over the bridge windows Shinji had to lurch away before the light burnt his eyes. A shrill screech resounded throughout the cavernous hangar, the _Archangel _shuddering as it let loose all the pent up energy in her cannon.

A broad pillar of multicoloured light thundered down upon the doomed hangar door, crumpling the heavy steel as though it had been aluminium foil. All the surrounding rubble disintegrated into dust as the explosion engulfed them. The _Archangel_'s hull, a hundred times stronger, held its ground despite the crushing shockwaves.

"Lohengrin Two, prepare to fire!"

With one final blast of the particle beam cannon the second door fell. The _Archangel_ cruised through its remains, blazing through the churning clouds of smoke and dust, and then emerging out into Heliopolis airspace … into a war zone.

A smouldering pile of rubble marked the spot where Heliopolis Commercial once stood. The GINNs had been terrifyingly thorough in their onslaught, destroying not one, but all three of its terminals. To the east an inferno blazed ravenously, consuming whatever that was left of Morgenroete's Icarus One hangar facility.

"Ma'am!" Chandra burst out. "I found the signal!"

"Where is it?"

"It's …" Chandra's eyes boggled. "It's from the Strike!"

The OMNI officers perked up at Chandra's report, the expressions on their faces pitifully hopeful. "Has the pilot identified himself?" Natarle demanded.

"Not yet," Chandra said, "but there's no doubt that it's not ZAFT."

"The Strike," Misato cut in. "It's the name of one of your prototypes, isn't it?"

"GAT-X105 Strike," Natarle explained. "One of our five prototypes from the G Project. Apparently it is the only one we have left."

"Where is it now?"

"Three kilometres from Icarus Two!" Chandra reported.

At that point, Misato realised, _We need to resupply._ In actual fact, the _Archangel_, had it followed NERV's original flight schedule, was not due for launch until the twenty-seventh of January, two days from now, during which supplying of the ship would take place. With the onset of the attack, the _A__rchangel _was forced to launch prematurely, leaving her grossly underequipped. With what they had now, they would never make it to Earth alive.

"We're landing," Misato announced. "Adjust the _Archangel_'s speed to match ground rotation. In the meantime, re-establish radio contact with the Strike; we'll rendezvous with it."

The bridge was immediately plunged into a crimson haze. A bloodcurdling siren seared the air, stabbing deep into the eardrums of everyone present; something had locked onto the _Archangel_.

Misato had barely time to consult her screens before giving her next order. "Evade," she called out. "Starboard!" The _Archangel_ dipped as Arnold Neumann yanked hard on the controls, the ship trembling ever so slightly as projectiles from a heavy machine gun grazed its keel.

"Two mobile suits, eleven o' clock!" Makoto yelled.

"Don't tear your hair over it," Misato muttered. "All hands, prepare for anti-mobile suit combat. I want identification of those two bogeys."

A holographic image flashed up in the middle of the bridge, featuring a pair of mobile suits tearing through the Heliopolis airspace side by side. "OK, everyone," Misato said. "We have two CGUEs, upgraded GINNs that are piloted only by ZAFT aces and commanders. Pay extra heed, take them down, and we avenge Heliopolis, understand?"

The titan that was the _Archangel_ roared, baring her teeth at her aggressors as her crew began activating her arsenal. She took aim, and then unleashed her first attack, the stern missile chute erupting in a thick cloud of smoke as it unloaded its materiel.

Detecting danger, the twin CGUEs pulled their thrusters wide open, following through into a spectacular evasion procedure. They split up, with one soaring towards one group of support shafts that snake across Heliopolis' faux sky. Just metres before it collided with the shaft, it swerved, snapping its trajectory into a near right angle.

_Shit! _Misato leapt up from her seat, horror registering on her face. Unable to mimic the CGUE's manoeuvre, the missiles collided into the shaft, tearing into the steel in a massive chain of explosions that subsequently obliterated the entire structure. Groans rang out loud in the pained rasps of an elderly man dying of terminal illness as the burden across all the surviving support structures burgeoned.

"The Strike is preparing to fire, captain!"

"What?" Misato yelled. "Bring him up on screen!"

"What the hell is the pilot doing?!" Natarle bellowed, as the _Archangel_'s telephoto cameras focused on the G weapon. "Get him to put down his weapon _now_!" For cradled in the Strike's arm was what Misato and Natarle recognised as a hyper impulse cannon, a portable siege weapon with enough power to destroy entire _ships._ If the Strike missed, and hit any part of Heliopolis —

"What are you doing?" Natarle snapped, growing frantic by the second. "Radio the pilot now!"

"I-I can't get a connection!" Chandra blustered. "The Strike's radio is turned off!"

The Strike fired.

It was a poor aim, the pilot unmistakably a rookie. The CGUE, the cannon's intended target, evaded the impulse beam with little effort. Its solitary eye swivelled across its head lazily, as it tracked the beam's path through the sky …

A pulsing fireball blossomed, ripping a large gaping gorge across Heliopolis' hull, the intense heat turning the edges all molten. It was through this ragged hole that the two CGUEs made their escape, retreating into the infinite realms of outer space beyond Heliopolis' faux sky.

Misato stood frozen, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. "That's enough," she said heavily. "Begin landing procedure now. Open up the hangar for the Strike; we need to have a few words with the pilot."

* * *

Halfway down to the _Archangel_'s hangar, something in Misato's pocket vibrated. She fished out her Blackberry, a brand-new NERV-issued model that was distributed to all shipboard crew just a week ago. "Maya, what is it?"

"_Captain," _Maya said on the other end, _"a vessel is requesting to land on the _Archangel_."_

"Fill me in."

"_One Moebius Zero, severely damaged. It is missing one gun barrel and its main gun is broken."_

"Goodness me. Who's the pilot?"

"_A Captain Mu La Flaga, Moebius Zero pilot assigned to the Atlantic Federation Navy 7__th__ Orbital Fleet. He also says he has a comrade who's on board."_

"Comrade?"

"_That's right. Her name, according to him, is Murrue Ramius, also a pilot from the 7__th__ Orbital Fleet."_

Misato thought for a while. "Alright, give him clearance," she said. "Once he lands, escort him to the conference room. I will bring the rest of our newcomers over in a while."

The G weapon, named by its creators the GAT-X105 Strike, knelt by the launch catapult. There was a group of people by the colossal machine's feet — four teenage children, with an older woman, a chocolate-haired Morgenroete engineer with her left arm hanging in a makeshift sling.

Natarle and her men dashed out towards the Strike. "Captain Ramius!" Natarle called out, saluting the chocolate-haired woman.

_Ramius? _Misato wondered. So she the Murrue Ramius Captain Mu La Flaga was talking about. _What is she doing here, in that Morgenroete overalls? Come to think of it, what is everyone else doing here, anyway?_

"Lieutenant Badgiruel?"

Natarle saluted Captain Murrue Ramius. "I'm relieved to see that you're safe, ma'am," she said.

Captain Ramius returned the salute with a small smile. "I'm glad, too," she said, "that you were able to protect the _Archangel_. You saved us."

A pneumatic hiss issued from the Strike, and everyone tilted their heads up to look as its hatch popped opened. Shocked gasps rang out as what was obviously a teenage boy emerged from the cockpit.

_What the hell's going on here? _Misato could only stare agape as the boy descended to the ground via a cable. _A _child_ piloted that mobile suit?_

"Captain Ramius," Natarle said softly. "Who is the child? What's going on?"

Ramius sighed. "As all of you here can see," she began, "the pilot of the GAT-X105 Strike is a civilian teenager. For some reason, he was in the Icarus One facility when ZAFT attacked us. I let him on the Strike. His name is Kira Yamato."

"What's a civilian doing in a protected area?"

"Don't get me wrong," Ramius said. "Trust me, Kira wasn't involved in the attack. It was thanks to him that we managed to repel the damned GINNs and protect the Strike."

A confused look appeared on Natarle's face. "Repel the GINNs?" she repeats. "That kid did that?"

Misato looked up to the Strike, her brow furrowing, for Ramius' statement perturbed Misato. A mobile suit was an immensely complex machine to operate, requiring long periods of training before anyone could be deemed reasonably competent. Due to this confounding complexity, to date only Coordinators were able to handle operating mobile suits.

Misato went over to Kira Yamato. As she approached, the boy appraised her with apprehensive eyes. "Wh-what is it?" he stammered.

"Kira Yamato?" Misato said. "That's your name, right?"

"Ye-yes."

"How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen this year."

"You're … a Coordinator, aren't you?"

Everyone froze at Misato's declaration. Shocked expressions emerged everywhere, mixed in with revulsion simmering in the eyes of Natarle and her men. One of the four children, whom Misato presumed to be Kira's friends, stepped protectively in front of Kira, his expression defiant.

"Who are you?" Ramius said to Misato, her voice defensive. "I've never seen your uniform before."

Misato turned to the captain. "I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, of NERV, an Orb-based paramilitary organisation," she said. "And … I'm the captain of the _Archangel_."

Ramius was stunned. "You are … _what_?" She whirled around to Natarle. "Lieutenant Badgiruel, what's going on in here?"

"I'll explain everything to you," Misato cut in before Natarle could reply. "But let's do it somewhere else. There's someone waiting for you, Captain Ramius."

* * *

Captain Mu La Flaga was, in Misato's opinion, a handsome man, in a boyish kind of way. A seasoned pilot already in his fifth year (according to him) of service, Mu appeared to have the hots for Murrue, from the way his face flushed, ever so subtly, when they both greeted each other. Unfortunately for him, the female pilot seemed to not reciprocate his feelings.

Mu perked up as Natarle entered the conference room. "Ah," he said, "an unfamiliar face. Greetings to you; I'm Captain Mu La Flaga, of the 7th Orbital Fleet."

Natarle saluted. "I'm Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel of the 8th Fleet, Sector Two, Fifth Special Division."

Everyone, save for Kira and his friends, were present: Misato, Murrue, Natarle and Mu. "Alright, ah, ladies and gentlemen," Misato began, clearing her throat. "Once again, I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, of NERV, captain of the _Archangel_."

"There's nothing we can do about that, I presume?" Murrue spoke up. "You being captain, that is." On the way here, Natarle had briefed Murrue on the events that have transpired ever since ZAFT began their assault on Heliopolis.

"No, I'm sorry." Misato shook her head. "That was the consensus we've reached earlier. NERV will only step down when the _Archangel_ reaches Orb."

"The Emirates is where your HQ is at, isn't it?"

"Yes. We'd originally commissioned the _Archangel_ as a support vessel to complement our, uh, equipment."

"If I may trespass further," Murrue said, "can you tell me more about your organisation?"

Misato hesitated. "Much of the work we do is classified," she said in the end. "Our very existence was supposed to be a secret."

"It could help," Murrue persisted, "if we have more information. How else are we going to coordinate our strategies?"

"Lieutenant Badgiruel has with her a dossier given to her by my commanding officer," Misato said. "You could refer to that document, if you wish." She wrung her hands. "Time is running out," she continued. "We need to discuss strategy."

"Strategy, eh?" Mu said. "Before that, I think I need to give you a little heads-up on the situation on _my _side. I was charged with escorting our G weapon pilots and the _Archangel_'s officers and crewmen over to Heliopolis. That is, until ZAFT intercepted us. I barely made it, as you can see. Can't say that about the young jocks, and the captain, though. And one more thing: the ZAFT fleet that blew us up, it belongs to Rau Le Creuset.

Mu's statement garnered loud gasps of horror from the OMNI officers. Misato bit her lip. "That's … bad," she said. And that statement was, Misato knew, the understatement of the century.

Mu raised his eyebrows. "You know Le Creuset too?"

Misato nodded. "We've a file on him," she explained. "Rau Le Creuset, twenty-eight years of age, ZAFT ace, one of the youngest officers ever to be appointed fleet commander, if I may add. As a naval commander he has quite a number of ships under his wing: three Laurasia-class frigates and four Nazca-class warships."

Mu was impressed. "Looks like you know almost as much as we do," he said.

Misato shrugged. "Well," she says, "we've never fought an actual battle with his fleet before. Just so you know. Heck, NERV has yet to turn fully operational."

"What do you think are our chances?"

"Of surviving a fight against him, you say?" Misato shook her head. "Dangerously close to zero. We have just one prototype mobile suit, and a civilian for a pilot. We also have two Moebius Zeroes, one of which is barely functional. No offence, I hope."

"None taken. Carry on, Captain."

Misato kneaded her forehead. "Now that the Strike is in our hands, we'll most likely be pursued by Le Creuset once we're out of Heliopolis. Against his Nazcas, the _Archangel_ is a tortoise. Skirmishes will be inevitable. The Moebius Zeroes will never stand against those G weapons. We will … need to depend on the Strike."

"You mean getting Kira Yamato to pilot the Strike again?" Murrue asked. "Will he agree? He was pretty traumatised after our brawl with those ZAFT goons."

"Couldn't you do it?" Natarle turned to Mu.

"Not me, no," Mu said. "The Zero is all I can handle. That Kira Yamato is perhaps the only person on board that can move that thing."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, we're screwed left and right," Mu said. "You should see the jocks I was tasked with escorting here, what they achieved during their intensive training. It's pathetic; it was a miracle they could even move those mobile suits. No, only a Coordinator can move the Strike. And that Kira Yamato is the only Coordinator we have."

Murrue sighed. "I'll speak to Kira regarding this," she said. "After all, I'm the one who dragged him into this mess."

"I'll accompany you," Misato offered.

Murrue flashed Misato a surprised look. "There's no need to," she said hurriedly. "It will be quick …"

"It'll be easier for you, I think," Misato said in a reassuring tone. "After all, I'm a Coordinator, too."

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-03: Sachiel


	3. Sachiel

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-03: Sachiel

**25 January, CE 71**

"Shinji? Ikari Shinji?"

Shinji whirled around, and in front of him was a young woman, one of the three NERV bridge operators whom Misato had called Maya. "Ye-yes?"

There was an apologetic smile on Maya's face. "I'm sorry, Shinji," she said, "but I will need to bring you out of the bridge for the time being. Is that OK with you?"

Thinking that he did not have any choice in that matter anyway, Shinji replied, "OK." He stood up, and prepares to leave.

"I'm really sorry," Maya apologised. "The thing is, we are on high alert now; there might be a combat situation any time. It'd be quite dangerous for you to remain here."

"Where can I go?"

"I'll bring you to our lounge," Maya offered. "Here, this way."

They exited the _Archangel_'s bridge together, navigating the ship's labyrinth of narrow corridors to lift lobby D. "Take the lift to the sixth floor," Maya instructed; the bridge was on the sixteenth. "The lounge's just outside the lobby. If you need to, the bathroom's right beside. Our dining hall is opposite the lounge; you can head over there if you need some refreshments. Is there anything else you need, Shinji?"

"No," Shinji said. "Thanks." The lift arrived with a chirpy _ding_, and he stepped inside.

When Shinji emerged a pair of sliding glass doors greeted him, with a sign fixed onto the wall to the left of the doorway yelling, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR SHOES BEFORE ENTERING. The reason behind the presence of such a sign became apparent when Shinji entered the _Archangel_'s lounge.

Against the monotony of the _Archangel_'s dull metallic corridors, this chamber was sheer luxury. A lavish velvet red material carpeted the floor, and there was actually a _chandelier_ hanging from the ceiling. A polished ebony grand piano stood erect by one corner, while a large 3D screen — complete with theatre system — was mounted at the opposite wall. Mahogany shelves lined full with books and Blu-Ray DVDs occupied the centre of the lounge, and Shinji spotted a PlayStation 5 console inside a glass cabinet.

Voices broke out from behind, causing Shinji to jump. He spun around just in time to see a group of five teenagers entering the _Archangel_'s lounge with awestruck expressions on their faces. "Whoa!" one of them, a tall and lanky brown-haired teenage boy, hooted. "I can't believe they have this in here!"

Another teenage boy pointed towards the large wall-mounted screen. "Do battleships have _PlayStations_?" he wondered out loud.

"Why not?" the lanky boy shot back. "Imagine being stuck on a ship with no games for half a year." He involuntarily gave a shudder.

"Hey there!" The shrill voice belonged to a girl, the only one in this group. She waved in Shinji's direction. "What's your name?"

All eyes turned on Shinji, and he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Uh, good afternoon," he said. "My name's Ikari Shinji."

"Hello, Shinji!" the girl said jovially. "I'm Miriallia Haw. You can call me Miriallia, or Milly, if you want."

"Hey!" the lanky boy protested loudly. "I thought I'm the only one who can call you that?"

Miriallia punched the boy's shoulders. "Stop being embarrassing," she scolded, but there was an affectionate smile on her face.

The lanky boy laughed. "By the way, I'm Tolle Koenig," he said, winking. "Milly's my girlfriend, and these are my friends."

A bespectacled boy stepped out from behind Tolle. "Afternoon, Shinji," he said. "I'm Sai Argyle. You can call me Sai."

"Kuzzey here," said the fourth guy of the group. "Where are you from, Shinji?"

"Huh?" Shinji said. "I'm from Orb."

"The mainland?"

"Ye-yeah."

"And I thought we're the only kids here!" Sai chuckled. "So how did you end up on this ship, Shinji?"

"Um …" Shinji fumbled with his words awkwardly. "My father works here …"

"_What?!"_

* * *

"Like I said, Captain Katsuragi," Murrue said as she strode down the corridor with Misato, "there's no need to come with me."

Despite what Murrue said, however, Misato could tell that she desperately wanted company for the inevitable confrontation that was to come. And to be honest, Misato was not too enthusiastic about it either. As battle-seasoned as they both were, none of them would ever savour the thought of persuading a civilian to participate in a war that had nearly destroyed his home.

"Don't worry about it," Misato said gruffly. "Let's just get this over and done with."

Kira's response, however, was none too surprising.

"No!" he said vehemently. "I will _not _do it! Please, if you respect us, don't involve us in this war more than you already have!"

"Kira …"

"Yes, all this while we may have been cooped up here, unaware of the war that's unfolding outside of our world, but that's the reason we chose to be here in neutral territory, isn't it?" Kira continued, his voice rising with every word. "We dislike war! We wanted to escape from the fighting!" His face turned as black as thunder.

Misato, at Murrue's request, lingered in the background. It was then, however, that her Blackberry vibrated. A chill went down her spine.

_Shucks, I've a bad feeling about this._

"Katsuragi."

"Captain!" It was Shigeru. "We need you at the bridge now!"

"What is it?"

"N-Jammer levels are increasing; there are mobile suits approaching!" All ZAFT mobile suits were equipped with compact versions of N-Jammers, devices that served to deactivate nuclear-powered engines and weaponry, and, consequently, radio communications and radar. This could mean only one thing: Le Creuset had finally embarked on the offensive.

"I understand," Misato said through her teeth. "Put me on the PA."

BEEP

"All hands to level one battle stations!" At her declaration, Murrue and Kira looked up, frantic looks on both their faces. "Captain La Flaga, what about your Moebius?"

"_No good!"_ came Mu's frustrated reply. _"It's can't even fly yet!"_

"In that case, join your colleagues in the CIC — they can use some extra help. The _Archangel_ will be launching in five minutes time. Get the hangar team to roll out the Captain Ramius' Moebius Zero; she will launch together with the Strike."

"_Roger!"_

"ZAFT?" Murrue said when Misato hung up, her face white.

"Yes, unfortunately," Misato said heavily. "We need you to launch. I'll help you wrap this up."

"I'm counting on you." And away Murrue dashed.

Misato then rounded on Kira. "It is as you've heard: the ship is entering battle," she said. "With the situation as it is right now, there is no way we can drop you all off at the shelters —"

"You guys are not being fair!" Kira burst out. "And then you'll tell us that there's only one mobile suit left on this ship, and that I'm the only one who can move it, am I right?"

"Correct," Misato said. "We're not being fair. None of us are, be it the Earth forces of ZAFT."

Taking a deep breath, Misato continued, "My name is Katsuragi Misato, Lieutenant-Colonel of NERV, the original owners of the _Archangel_. We were the ones who commissioned this ship, but it was passed secretly to the Earth forces for their own use in their war. This ship, in fact, was never meant to participate in any human armed conflict, nor to carry any mobile suits. We commissioned the _Archangel_ as a shield for humanity.

"But then the Earth Alliance officers came, and from that moment on we from NERV have been fighting with our lives on the line to get back to Orb, where our main base is. Here's the thing, Kira, we need you to protect us, to get us back to Orb safely. You're the only one that can do it. It is the only way we can get back home."

"NERV …" Kira said suspiciously. "I've never heard of you guys before. What do you do?"

"We fight angels," Misato said simply. "Now, I'd like to explain more, but there's no time left, and anyway that information is classified. The important thing is, Kira, are you willing to help us?"

"I —"

"You're not alone." Misato's voice was gentle. "Your friends are behind you."

"Yeah, Kira," Tolle burst out, as he stumbled out of through the doorway of the lounge, where he and the others had been eavesdropping, to stand by Kira's side. "We'll be waiting for you."

A long moment passed as Kira struggled with conflicting emotions. "OK," he says softly. "Tell me what to do."

"Firstly, head to the hangar — the Strike is there being prepped for launch as we speak. From there, I will brief you further."

With a nod of his head, Kira sprinted away down the corridor.

Misato eyes swept past Kira's friends, as if she was searching for someone. "Don't mind if I ask," she said in the end, "but you kids see a boy named Ikari Shinji?"

"He's in the lounge," Miriallia piped up, just as Shinji's head popped out through the doorway.

"Misato?"

Misato went up to Shinji. "Hey there," she said. "Sorry I couldn't be around."

"It's OK," Shinji mumbled. "Is … is the ship going into battle?"

"Yeah," Misato said. "You'd have to stay here a bit longer, I'm afraid."

"N-no, it's alright."

Misato gave a small smile and thumbs up. "You'll be safe," she said. "After all, I'm the captain —"

Without warning, the lights died, enveloping everyone in pitch-black darkness.

"What the —?" someone yelled. A scream pierced the air.

"Calm down!" Misato roared, as her heart began to race. _What the hell is happening? _Had the engines stopped? No, she could still hear them in the background. What, then —?

_Click. _And then, as abruptly as they had extinguished, the lights flickered back to life. But … but they were not white, they were —

Blue.

"Shit!" Misato gasped, as sirens began wailing with abandon. Plunging her hand into her pocket, she pulled out her Blackberry, and there, on the standby screen, was the following message, flashing scarlet:

WARNING

Pattern Analysis: Blood Type BLUE 06

Classified as FIRST Angel

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-04: Overture


	4. Overture

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-04: Overture

**25 January, CE 71**

Indeed, it was the first Angel.

'Angel' could not have been a more inappropriate term for the abomination that had just materialised in the middle of the Heliopolis Tannenbaum business district, and subsequently levelled every single building in a 500-metre radius. Rather, the creature seemed to be more of a denizen of hell than a guardian of heaven.

What everyone aboard the _Archangel_ saw was a gigantic creature as tall as the Strike itself, spindly and humanoid in shape. It had no head at all, having just two beaked skulls latched onto the centre of its chest, conjoined in a horribly mangled way like Siamese twins. Its elongated arms, limbs which extended beyond its knees, swayed in tandem with its lumbering motion, while gill-like structures protruded from the sides of its chest, gulping in Heliopolis' air with loud squelching noises.

There was quite a distance spanning between the _Archangel_ and the Angel, but make no mistake, its target was the ship herself. The four hollow eye sockets on its skulls bore down upon the _Archangel_ intently, completely ignoring the GINNs that had swarmed into Heliopolis, not even when they brought their rifles up and aimed their barrels at it.

Everything changed, however, when one of the GINNs let loose a shot. The round hit the Angel's spine, ricocheting off its hide and tumbling uselessly to the ground.

Time seemed to stop, as the Angel froze in its tracks. And then, ever so slowly, it swivelled round on its heel, eye sockets gazing unblinkingly at the GINN squadron before it.

A faint scintillation of light was all that the _Archangel_'s bridge crewsaw, in stunned silence, before a spear of golden light erupted from one of the Angel's sockets and disintegrated the entire squadron before everyone's eyes.

The doors to the bridge hissed open, and Misato stormed in.

"Captain Katsuragi!" Natarle bellowed. "What the hell's going on?"

Ignoring Natarle for the moment, Misato turned to Gendo. "Commander."

"There's no doubt about it," Gendo said. "You've seen the analysis for yourself. This is the first Angel."

"But, how? We're in outer space!"

"We'll save the questions for later," Gendo said. "For now, we need to focus on defeating the enemy. I need you to bring Shinji to the hangar, at once."

Misato stiffened. "So soon?" she whispered.

Gendo nodded. "We have no choice," he said sharply. "We have no one else. Rei is currently in the medical unit undergoing emergency treatment. Her injuries are far worse than we thought." He rose from his seat, and exited the bridge.

"Katsuragi," Natarle repeated.

"It is as you see here," Misato said heavily. "The sole reason NERV exists. To fight these creatures we call Angels."

"That … _thing_," Natarle pointed a shaky finger towards the holographic 3D image of the Angel suspended in the centre of the bridge, "is the so-called _Angel_?"

"That's right. We'll be engaging it shortly. Even with ZAFT out of the picture for now, we'll be stretching ourselves quite tightly. There's no choice, however. The Angels exist to destroy."

"That Angel …" Natarle said slowly, "how are we going to fight it?"

"Leave that to us," Misato said, turning to exit the bridge. "I'll be right back."

* * *

It was a typical scene of organised chaos that met Misato and Shinji as they entered the hangar. The wails of sirens, harried screams, and soft screeches of moving machinery churn all around in one gigantic raucous hodgepodge as Misato brought Shinji down a gangway.

"Misato," Shinji said. "Why are we here?"

_What should I say to him? _"You'll see," Misato said.

They turned a corner, and then a loud voice caught their attention. _"Katsuragi!"_

The voice belonged to a young blond woman striding down the gangway towards them, her heels _click-clacking_ against the steel loudly. She donned a flowing white lab coat, concealing part of her designer blouse and skirt ensemble. Thick makeup, together with a petite pair of silver earrings, adorned her glamorous face, though it did not do much to hide the dark mole underneath her left eye.

"Ritsuko!" Misato called out in reply.

"You're late," the blonde said sternly. "Launch of EVA-01 is due to start in fifteen minutes, and we have yet to brief the pilot. We can't have you dilly-dallying, Lieutenant-Colonel."

Misato flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Ritsuko sighed, then threw a glance at Shinji. "So," she said, "this is the boy? Ikari Shinji?"

"Yep."

"I see. Good afternoon, Shinji," she said. "I'm Professor Akagi Ritsuko, from NERV First Engineering Division. Nice to meet you."

"N-nice to meet you, too."

They continued to walk, and soon entered a part of the hangar enshrouded in darkness. "Shinji," Ritsuko began. "Do you know what we are here for?"

"No."

"Then let me show you." She stopped, and snapped her fingers. Immediately, bright light flooded the hangar.

"_Argh!" _Shinji yelled out in fright.

Standing in front of Shinji was a _demon_, glaring at him through malevolent slit-like eyes. It was humanoid, plated in shiny armour swathed in violent shades of purple and jade. Razor-sharp claws protruded from the construct's fingers, while a feral horn extended from its head, the bestial features clashing horribly with the otherwise mechanical façade of the machine, with thickset conduits trailing from multiple sockets lining its spine.

"Shinji," Ritsuko continued, gesturing towards the monster. "Do you know what this is?"

"I … don't know."

"This," Ritsuko said, "is the ultimate weapon ever constructed by man. The Evangelion Test-type, EVA-01. Mankind's final trump card against the Angels."

"This thing …" Shinji said, "is my father's work?"

"Correct."A deep voice rumbles from a short distance away.

_Father!_

It was indeed Gendo, standing at one end of the gangway, his gaze upon Shinji. But his next sentence was not for him: "EVA-01: scramble."

"Yes, Commander," Ritsuko said. Then she turned to Shinji. "Ikari Shinji."

"Ye-yes?"

"EVA-01 … you will pilot it."

"P-pilot? Me?"

Ritsuko nodded. "You're the designated pilot for EVA-01. Your Plug Suit has not come in yet, but you will be protected sufficiently inside the EVA," she said. "You will use the EVA to defeat the Angel."

A deadened silence followed, as Shinji registered what Ritsuko had said.

Then suddenly he whirled around, his eyes on his father. "Father," he began. "Why did you call for me?"

"It's exactly as you think," Gendo said. "I need your help."

"You … you want me to pilot this machine and face that monster?"

"Correct."

"I don't want to!" Shinji yelled. "You just want to get me killed, don't you? So that you won't ever have to face me again!"

"I called for you, because I need your help," Gendo said. "Is it really that difficult?"

"Why did it have to be me?"

"Because piloting EVA-01 is impossible for any other human. You're the only one that can do it."

"Me? You can't be kidding me!" There were tears in Shinji's eyes now. "I've never seen or heard anything like this!"

"You don't trust your father?"

"How can I trust a father who abandoned me?" Shinji yelled.

"If you're going to pilot the EVA, then do it like a man," Gendo said. "If you're not going to, get out of my sight."

* * *

Shinji was all alone in this world. He had no friends, and the only family he had left bore no qualms about sending his own flesh and blood out on the battlefield. Desperate, he turned to Misato, who was perhaps the one last person who could understand his fears.

Misato's face, however, was firm. "EVA-01 is your now, Shinji," she said, trying not to make eye contact with the expression of shocked betrayal on Shinji's face. Gendo was right, Shinji _was _the only person who could operate the Evangelion now. Time was running out; if EVA-01 was not launched soon they would all die under the Angel's hands. The _world _was at stake here.

_I've no choice, _Misato repeated in her mind, trying to contain the inferno of guilt that was consuming her from within. _I cannot protect Shinji, but maybe I can make his life easier._

Shinji was abruptly aware of Misato's hand on his shoulder.

"Shinji," Misato said, her voice gentle. She knelt down on a knee, gazing directly at Shinji's eyes.

"No!"

"What's the reason you came here for?"

Shinji did not say anything.

"Don't run away," Misato forged ahead. "Not from your fears, your father, even yourself. We have the Strike and Captain Ramius out there; they will help you. They will protect you. I will make sure of that."

_They will protect you. _That was impossible. How could they hope to protect him from the Angel, the monster that wiped out an entire GINN squadron in one fell swoop? Evangelion — mankind's ultimate weapon? Shinji simply could not muster any faith in the machine his father built.

"No!" Shinji yelled out impulsively. "I can't! I just can't!"

"Shinji …"

"That's enough, Lieutenant-Colonel," Gendo cut in. "Return back to the bridge and reassume command."

Throwing a helpless glance in Shinji's direction, Misato stood up and hurried away from the hangar, with a leaden weight in her heart.

"What are you going to do?" Ritsuko asked.

Gendo took out his Blackberry. "Fuyutsuki," he said into the receiver. "The spare is useless; get Rei to the hangar now."

"_Are you serious?"_ NERV's Vice-Commander, Fuyutsuki Kozo, shot back over the phone. _"Ayanami's still undergoing emergency treatment."_

"She's not dead." Having said so, he hung up the call and turned to Ritsuko. _You know what to do._

Ritsuko's head dipped. "Switch EVA-01's core unit to the L-00 type and restart!" she barked. Then she spun around on her heels and departed, leaving Shinji alone.

* * *

Shinji sunk to his knees, his head bowed.

_As I thought, I'm unwanted._

Was that true? Did his father really hate him to this extent?

_He calls me only when he needs help. Someone he can use and then throw away._

But that's what family is, isn't it? Helping one another was a given, was it not?

_He does not miss me. Not at all._

Was that true?

_I'm just a tool, a 'spare'. Father says he needs me, but in the end he has a backup ready._

Wise people planned ahead.

_I'm just a tool in my father's eyes. No, not only him, but in Misato's too. And that blond woman._

No, not a tool, but an asset. There was a difference.

_When I cannot meet their expectations, they discard me._

He should agree to pilot the Evangelion, then, shouldn't he? Then he would be wanted once more.

_But —!_

* * *

"Move aside! Move aside!"

Shinji perked up to the clanging of wheels against the steel gangway. A hospital gurney, wheeled by a medical team of two nurses and a doctor, crashed into view.

There was a girl on the gurney, a young girl of Shinji's age with light blue hair, like the colour of the sky. A myriad of bandages criss-crossed round her trembling body, and in some areas blood had actually soaked through, dyeing the sterile cloth a deep scarlet. Her chest heaved in wretched breaths, her eyes scrunched up in an unmistakable expression of excruciating pain.

_She's … she's my replacement? _Shinji thought in dazed shock. _She's going to pilot the Evangelion in my place?_

It couldn't be! Father would never allow that. The girl was so grievously injured, she could not even raise an arm to save herself.

But raise an arm she did. Grabbing the handlebars of the gurney, the girl dragged herself up. With every millimetre she moved, however, her face contorted, tears streaking down her cheeks, as her body became wracked with painful spasms.

_**BOOM**_

The violent explosion flipped the gurney, hurling the girl off and onto the hard metal floor. She yelped shrilly, a terrible sound that echoed heavily. At the same time, Shinji was thrown off his feet, his shoulder slamming against steel with a dull _clang_.

"Are you alright?!" Shinji called out frantically, picking himself up and hurrying over to the girl. With his knee he propped her limp body up, and it was then that he felt gushing warmth on his hand. Withdrawing his hand sharply, Shinji choked in horror at the blood on his hands; one of the girl's wounds had split open.

Shinji head swivelled, his eyes on the bestial construct they named Evangelion.

_If she pilots that thing … if she goes out and fights that monster … she's going to die!_

But were his chances any better? Him, a scrawny fifteen-year-old, against a towering titan of destruction. It was a no-brainer as to what the outcome would be like.

_But … better me than her!_

Shinji began to trembe. He had no choice now; there was only one answer to salvage the situation. There was no way he could live with himself if he had just walked away.

"I …" he stuttered. A single tear rolls down his cheek.

The memory of Misato's touch on his shoulder lingered. _"Don't run away," _she had said. _"Not from your fears, your father, even yourself."_

"I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away," Shinji repeated continuously under his breath. "I mustn't run away!"

Mustering every sliver of courage he ever possessed, with the girl, now unconscious, cradled tightly in his arms, Shinji's parted his lips.

"I will do it!" he yelled. "I will pilot the Evangelion!"

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-05: Scar of Space


	5. Scar of Space

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-05: Scar of Space

**25 January, CE 71**

There was no time to suit up. In fact, Shinji's Plug Suit — the specialised armoured jumpsuit that was standard-issue for all EVA pilots — was not even ready yet. And so Shinji prepared to dive into EVA-01 in just his shirt and jeans, armed with only two spherical contraptions resembling fancy hairclips — the A10 nerve clips, as Ritsuko had named them — latched on to his hair.

"The A10 nerve clips are a type of portable nerve electrode, and they help in establishing a basic synchronisation bridge between you and EVA," Ritsuko explained as she helped attach the clips to Shinji's head.

"Synchronisation?"

"Control of the EVA is not performed through joysticks and computers like mobile suits." Ritsuko sniffed when she said _mobile suit_. "The EVA's operating system will interpret your brainwaves and relay them to the EVA itself." As to what the professor was actually talking about, Shinji decided that it will be better for his brain if he did not ask any more questions.

Shinji was led to the hatch of EVA-01's mobile cockpit, the Entry Plug, a long thin cylinder suspended in the air by a vast array of mechanical arms.

"Go on," Ritsuko beckoned. "We will brief you on what to do along the way."

And as Shinji lowered and buckled himself in the hatch slid shut with a sharp hiss. Immediately, he was entrapped in darkness so solid and impregnable that it was suffocating.

* * *

"_Initiating Entry Plug insertion — updating software connections."_

The arms gripping EVA-01's Entry Plug in place whirred into life, lowering and sliding it through a round orifice located at the nape of the EVA neck. Joints and gears spun vigorously, screwing the cylinder tight into the cavity. With a pneumatic hiss, metal plates slide over the point of entry, latching it shut.

"_Entry Plug dive complete. Initialising LCL flooding."_

Shinji squealed in alarm, as fluid flooded his sneakers. A weird-smelling brown liquid was inundating the Entry Plug, rising at an alarming rate towards, and then over, Shinji's head.

"Don't move," Ritsuko said as Shinji began to struggle. "Once the LCL fills your lungs, it will supply you with oxygen. You will not drown."

Shinji took a sniff, and retched as the liquid rushed down his lungs, filling his nostrils with a putrid stench that stank suspiciously of blood. He quivered in revulsion, as iron laced his mouth.

"_Beginning second contact."_

A golden geyser of blinding light surged up, searing Shinji's pupils, which gradually dissolved into a shimmering kaleidoscope of vibrant rainbow colours. After the pain had subsided, his eyes fluttered open cautiously, then bulged from their sockets at the sight before him.

Together with his pilot's seat, Shinji was _floating. _The claustrophobic metal walls of the Entry Plug, as with the murky LCL, were no more. A sprawling vista of the _Archangel_'s cavernous hangar laid before him, fed to Shinji through biological nerve endings connecting his Entry Plug to EVA-01's eyes.

"_LCL electrification process successful. Initialising operating system boot."_

Various holographic windows flickered into life, surrounding Shinji with streaming numbers, symbols and phrases in a language that made no sense to him. After a while they merged, to form a single window that showed the following:

EVANGELION TEST-TYPE EVA-01

Integrating

Network

Systems and

Pathological

Information

Reaching

Eternity

INSPIRE OPERATING SYSTEM ver. 4.5e

"_Evangelion INSPIRE operating system at one hundred percent functionality._ _All synapses 0001 through 1066 clear."_

"Sync rate: forty one point three percent!" Shigeru announced.

"Amazing!" Ritsuko marvelled. "The boy's not even in a Plug Suit!"

"_All harmonics are normal; communications with EVA-01 stable and unhampered by N-Jammer interference."_

Ritsuko turned to Misato, a triumphant look on her face. "It can move!" she called out,

"Let's go, then!" Misato declared. "Evangelion Test-type EVA-01, launch!"

* * *

Prior to launch, an Evangelion was equipped with a hybrid energy pack, attached onto a trio of sockets located in one vertical line at its spine. A full 106 minutes of power lay dormant in the quad-cell battery, while the twin thrusters and stabiliser fins granted the EVA additional manoeuvrability both in the air and on the ground.

EVA-01's launch platform became flush with the runway, and the shaft opened up. Light flooded in, giving Shinji a full view of Heliopolis' ravaged sky.

"_Runway clear. Systems all green."_

"_Pilot of Evangelion Test-type EVA-01," _Ibuki Maya enunciated through the intercom, _"state your name and unit to initiate launch."_

Shinji pried his lips open. "I-Ikari Shinji," he gasped. "Evangelion EVA-01!"

The _Archangel_'s linear catapult kicked into motion, flinging EVA-01 out into Heliopolis airspace. For one harrowing moment Shinji couldn't breathe, as inertia rammed his back into his seat.

The next moment, Shinji found himself gliding through the air. Elation filled his chest for one full second before gravity took over, plunging EVA-01 straight down onto the earth with an earth-shattering _THUD_, its feet knocking two craters out of the ground.

Shinji looked up. In the distance was a gigantic black shape, trundling across the ruined streets. He swallowed, barely containing the fear bubbling within.

"_Shinji!" _It was Misato. _"Are you alright?"_

"Ye-yes." Shinji replied shakily. "U-um, what do I-I do?"

"For now," Ritsuko instructed, "just concentrate on walking."

"How?"

"Your thoughts drive the EVA, through your A10 nerve clips. Use your mind to instruct EVA-01."

Ritsuko's instructions made absolutely no sense at all, so Shinji decided to take their literal meaning. _Walk, _he thought, his eyes focusing on a spot on the cracked road a few metres ahead.

And EVA-01 lurched, its left foot rising and carrying its bulk forward. Startled, Shinji's concentration faltered for a second.

EVA-01 stumbled and collapsed. Shinji gasped in fright, as a strange dull ache bloomed on his forehead and knees.

"_Shinji! SHINJI!" _Misato suddenly yelled. _"Get up and RUN!"_

Shinji's head jerked up. With its inhumane stride, the Angel had crossed the entire five kilometres that had originally spanned between it and EVA-01 in a matter of minutes.

Now, it loomed over Shinji, flexing its tapered claws. Four eye sockets, black as beetles, bore straight through into his eyes, probing … and then it seemed to curl in glee as it found fear …

The Angel reached down, and wrapped its claws around EVA-01's head. It then heaved, lifting the EVA high up to head level. With its free arm, it snared EVA-01's wrist in a vice-like grip.

Groaning, the Angel began to pull, its arms pumping as it strained to rend EVA-01's neck and shoulder apart. A scream tore through Shinji's throat as he felt his own neck and arm split open.

"_Shinji, stay with me!" _Misato shouted desperately. _"It's not your arm that's being hurt! Listen to me, it's just a side effect of the synchronisation —"_

_IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS —_

An Evangelion was operated via an extensive network of neural connections between the machine itself and the pilot, and would thus require only output from the pilot's brainwaves without any complicated and otherwise awkward manipulation of clunky controls. Such an unorthodox method of operation eventually led to heightened responsiveness of the machine, but had also in turn placed a tremendous psychological burden on the pilot.

To put it simply, whatever an EVA felt, its pilot would feel also.

A crimson haze of pain enveloped Shinji's world. Nothing, no one, existed anymore, except for the sheer agony flooding his senses —

_CRUNCH_

EVA-01's arms fell limp; the Angel had snapped them.

"_**AH-AH-AH ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The Angel released EVA-01's wrist, now mangled beyond recognition and dripping blood. The hide on its other hand melted away, revealing the business end of a stake embedded inside its arm.

_THUD_

The stake snapped forth, striking EVA-01 in the eye. Shinji whimpered, cringing into his seat, hands cradling his head.

_THUD_

_THUD_

"_The forehead plating is cracking!"_

"What about EVA-01's defence systems?"Ritsuko barked.

"_The signal's not working; INSPIRE can't expand an AT Field automatically!"_

"It can't take much more of this," Ritsuko murmured.

No sooner had she said that than the EVA's armour plates gave way completely. The stake burrowed straight through, the sheer force of the impact shoving EVA-01 right through five consecutive city blocks. Shinji felt his own head erupt before the pain shoved him down the abyss, sending him spiralling down into the blissful void.

EVA-01, dead to the world, tumbled to the ground. Hot scarlet blood sprayed freely from the gaping wound across its head, with sizzling droplets the size of a small car splattering down upon the streets.

"_Catastrophic cranial damage! Damage unknown!"_

"_A fatal error has occurred in INSPIRE!"_

"Status report!" Misato roared.

"_The syncograph is being reversed; the pulses are refluxing! Pilot has become unresponsive!"_

"Cut off all circuits at once, and reboot the OS," Ritsuko instructed.

"_I can't! INSPIRE's refusing signals!"_

Misato bit her lip. "Our priority is to escape Heliopolis," she said. "Abort the anti-Angel operation! Hangar and medical units, prepare for emergency interception of EVA-01!" In extreme situations, the hybrid pack could be remote-controlled as a **S**implified **A**id **f**or **E**VANGELION **R**escue (SAFER) jet pack to air-lift any felled EVAs over to evacuation points, which in this case was the _Archangel_ herself.

"I can't, Captain!" Maya yelled out desperately. "There is damage to the SAFER's propulsion —"

Abruptly, the sirens died. All at once, the warning messages flooding Misato's terminal disappeared.

"H-huh?" Misato spluttered. "What happened?"

"C-captain!" Shigeru said, his voice trembling. "EVA-01 has restarted."

"That's impossible," Misato shot back. "Look at the amount of damage it was inflicted!"

Ritsuko's eyes bulged. "Yes, Misato, it's possible," she whispered. "There can only be one answer for this …"

An uttered word hung in the air.

"Berserk?"

* * *

Eventually, the outpouring of blood slowed, and then stemmed. In a blinking of an eye, the wound narrowed, taking no more than five seconds to seal completely.

EVA-01's fingers twitched, then clenched into fists. With a flash, its slit-like eyes flashed into life. A slight shrug of its shoulders was all it took to hoist its gargantuan frame to its feet.

A piercing, metallic screech erupted from the depths of its throat. Reaching behind, EVA-01 swiftly ripped off its hybrid pack, scrunching it up into a useless heap of metal before sending it crashing to the ground. Roaring with release, it then spun around to face its nemesis.

Legs crouched, EVA-01 then leapt, streaming through the air in a graceful parabola in one stunning contradiction to its size and weight. It slammed into the Angel, ploughing it into a pile of rubble.

Dazed, the Angel couldn't retaliate in time before EVA-01 straddled its waist. A spasm of pain seized its thorax, as a salvo of punches rained down directly upon the crimson orb seated in its chest. Gurgling sounds ensued as foam bubbled from its gills.

Its consciousness fading, the Angel lunged for the one lifeline it saw in its dimming peripheral vision: EVA-01's throat. As the EVA thrashed and writhed in its grasp, the Angel found its vision returning, and with a triumphant bay it hurled the hateful machine into one hapless cluster of buildings.

EVA-01 was back on its feet even before the smoke had cleared. It vaulted into the air, fist raised, only to crumple in mid-air and topple onto the ruined tarmac road as it collided into a barrier, a two-dimensional space twice the breadth of the Angel's shoulders warped by shimmering concentric octagons.

"That's an AT Field!" Ritsuko exclaimed. "As long as the Angel maintains its AT Field …"

"EVA can't touch it!" Misato whispered.

EVA-01 sprung to its feet, glaring hatefully at the Angel. Jaws snapping, it then flexed its claws.

"What's it doing?" Natarle murmured, a mixture of revulsion and wonder on her face.

EVA-01's claws sunk in through the Angel's AT Field, curling and finding purchase on the barrier. Arms pumping, it began to heave, and a rift opened up in the ethereal shield.

"_What's happening?!"_

"_EVA-01 is deploying its own AT Field — it's neutralising the enemy's barrier!"_

"No, it's corroding it …" Ritsuko murmured.

With one last burst of strength, EVA-01 ripped the AT Field apart, the shreds dissolving into nothingness. Immediately, it lashed out, plunging its claws through all four of the Angel's eye sockets.

A sharp twist of its wrists, and EVA tore both beaked skulls off the Angel. It cried out pitifully — _ulla ullraghh uraaakkkllhh_ — even as it tottered backwards.

EVA-01 gave it no respite. It stretched out both arms, grabbing both of the Angel's forearms and breaking its fall —

Only to snap them into writhing halves.

Blood pouring from its arms and eyes, the Angel collapsed. Mercilessly, EVA-01 straddled its limp form once again.

An orgasmic cry escaped the EVA's throat as it assaulted the red orb with a renewed vigour. When none of its blows made even a single scratch on the stubborn orb, however, EVA-01 ceased its attack momentarily to break off one of its ribs. With its new weapon, it bore down upon the fallen Angel ravenously, stabbing the orb with a manic fervour.

Hairline cracks snaked through the orb, steaming blood oozing out like gel from a leaking pack. Even as life slowly, but surely, departed from the Angel, EVA-01 kept up its frenzied violation of its body, relishing in the blood that now spurted from the shattered orb.

The Angel was dying, and it had long since reconciled with that fact. However, it never planned on ceding its existence in such a humiliating way.

With a gurgle the Angel's body turned fluid, and slunk away from EVA-01's grasp. For just half a second, its broken body hovered in the air, before swooping in and entwining itself around the EVA's arms, then torso, and finally its legs, leaving just its head. Then its skin began bubbling, stretching taut as its body ballooned to monstrous proportions.

As the Angel, now but a corpse, engorged beyond the city district's boundaries, Maya cried out, "Large energy reaction detected inside the Angel!" Maya cried out. "Its form can't hold much longer!"

"What did you say?" Misato yelled in horror. "Maximum thrust! Turn bow twenty! Fire the flares!"

As the retreat flares detonated over the sky, her bow tipped, pointing towards the jagged breach across Heliopolis' hull. Her engines erupted in one simultaneous outpouring of thrust, sending her massive frame towards the dark abyss of space.

With a sound like tearing aluminium foil, the Angel's body ruptured, and upon exposure to Heliopolis' diminishing atmosphere its viscera detonated in one colossal cross-shaped pyre of flame, toxic smoke, and blood. The inferno surged on, engulfing EVA-01 and even Heliopolis itself.

Soon, all that's left of the mammoth space colony was but a scarlet cross-shaped aurora, the light pouring from it so brilliant that it outshone even neighbouring stars.

The vacuum of space extinguished the inferno just as quickly as it had bloomed, and when the light finally died down, all that remained was the EVA, hanging limp amongst the charred debris, its armour unblemished and unscarred.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-06: criminal


	6. criminal

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-06: criminal

**25 January, CE 71**

All around Misato was death, and only death. Of the 362 mobile shelters that had successfully launched prior to the detonation, only a hundred remained intact. The rest were _gone_, consumed entirely by the Angel's last act of destruction.

"Maya!" Misato barked. "Have you made contact with the Strike yet?"

"No, Captain," Maya said desperately. "No sign of the Moebius Zero, either!"

Misato kneaded her temples, barely containing the panic coursing within her. Together with the _Archangel_, both Kira and Murrue had made it out of Heliopolis before the Angel self-destructed. Yet after the explosion radio contact with them had ceased; till now the Strike and Moebius Zero were still under MIA status. EVA-01, too, was nowhere to be seen or heard.

"I'll launch," Mu said through gritted teeth. "My craft's main body is still operational."

"Not yet," Misato shot back. "Give it a while more."

Ten more harrowing minutes passed. Then —

"Archangel_!" _Murrue's voice blared through the speakers. _"This is Captain Murrue Ramius, in TS-MA2 Moebius Zero. With me is the Strike and EVA. I need a medical team on standby at the hangar, ready to intercept EVA-01's pilot; his vital signs are flatlining."_

Misato's heart clenched. "What about the Strike?"

"_I'm OK!" _Kira's voice came in. _"_Archangel_, please remain where you are, we'll be bringing in the Evangelion and lifeboat shortly —"_

"Lifeboat? What lifeboat?" Natarle barked.

"_One of Heliopolis' mobile shelters!" _Kira answered. _"It's propulsion is jammed; I discovered it a few minutes ago trapped in the debris —"_

"We're NOT bringing a lifeboat on board!" Natarle roared. "Who the hell gave you authorisation?!"

"_The lifeboat cannot move!" _Kira protested. _"And its communications mast is damaged; it won't be able to contact the rescue forces! So you want me to throw it back out?!"_

"Captain Ramius!" Natarle said. "Help me knock some sense into the boy, please!"

"_I was the one who gave permission, Natarle," _Murrue said. _"If we let it be, the lifeboat will drift. I ... will take full responsibility."_

Natartle took a deep breath. "OK, if you say so," she said. "All hands on deck, prepare for emergency interception!"

As the Strike hauled both EVA-01 and the lifeboat into the safety of the _Archangel_'s hangar Misato gathered everyone present on the bridge for an emergency meeting. "OK, we need to decide on our next step," she said. "We've to operate on the assumption that ZAFT's still after our heads, so firstly: are Le Creuset's ships detectable?"

"Negative, Captain," was the answer. "The debris and residual heat from the explosion are muddling our scanners. Radar shows nothing, but that's probably because N-Jammer interference is still up."

"The N-Jammers are a double-edged sword," Mu cut in. "Which means that the enemy is having the same problems as us. But they probably have other tricks up their bloody sleeves. And anyway, against their troopers we've no chance: those ZAFT crazies have four G weapons; we have one, piloted by a complete rookie, and two Moebius Zeroes. We might as well be throwing pebbles at them."

"No, that's not all you will have," Gendo spoke up. His wounds had finally been dressed, though his glasses remained cracked.

"What do you mean?" Mu asked.

"Aboard the _Archangel_ we have two Evangelions, EVA-00 and EVA-01," Gendo said. "EVA-00's pilot is still undergoing medical treatment, but EVA-01's pilot will be operationally ready following a brief respite."

"Commander," Misato said, raising a hand. "At any cost, we shouldn't reveal the EVAs —"

"Yes, we shouldn't," Gendo interrupted. "But if ZAFT were to destroy the _Archangel_ the EVAs will not be of much use, will they?"

Natarle shoved from her seat. "No," she said, her voice hard.

Gendo cocked an eyebrow. "Lieutenant Badgiruel."

"I object. We'll not use the EVAs. The Strike and Moebius Zeroes will do just fine."

"Do you really think so? You are that confident?"

"Look at this!" Natarle said furiously, jabbing a finger towards an image of Heliopolis, or what was left of it. "Total destruction! At least ten thousand dead! Are you all telling me to entrust the defence of the ship to such an uncontrollable weapon of mass destruction?"

"The EVAs are by no means uncontrollable," Gendo said dispassionately. "We've pilots. We've a state-of-the-art control centre aboard the _Archangel_. We've a supercomputer to handle quantum anomalies."

"What's that term you used?" Natarle challenged. "_Berserk_, you say? Your Evangelion knocked out its own pilot, tore off its power source and went _berserk_. Like a wild animal."

"That," Gendo said, his tone final, "will not happen again." And saying that he rose from his seat and exited the bridge.

"You've seen the EVA's power first hand, Lieutenant Natarle," Misato said. "Just its AT Field alone will be more than sufficient to protect the _Archangel_."

"Even so," Natarle countered, "the EVAs are way too unreliable for comfort."

"The EVAs can be deployed merely for defensive purposes," Ritsuko said. "Without combat, our pilots should be able to maintain a reasonable measure of control over the EVAs."

Natarle flopped back to her seat. "If you say so, then."

Misato called up a three dimensional holographic space chart. "From what I currently know," she said, "OMNI was supposed to bring the _Archangel_ to the Ptolemaeus lunar base, where she would then participate directly in attack missions against the PLANTs. However, that was before NERV entered the fray. Now, you guys have no choice but to accompany us to Orb, after which will we let you take over the _Archangel_.

"We've accomplished partial resupply back on Heliopolis, before the Angel materialised," Misato continued. "But let's be frank, we'll thirst to death before we even get near the moon. Our priority, at least for this leg of the journey, will be securing resupply sites."

"Hmmm," Mu said. "I've an idea."

"Artemis?" Natarle said shrewdly. "You sure?"

Mu shrugged. "It's our only choice."

Misato thought for a while. "Artemis, eh?" she said. "That might work." Artemis was an asteroid fortress controlled by the Eurasian Federation, also a member of the Earth Alliance. Located in Lagrange point 3, a part of space directly opposite the moon, the Artemis base was protected by a powerful lightwave barrier — nicknamed by Artemis' denizens the 'Umbrella of Artemis' — that was impervious to both physical and beam assaults.

"We can resupply there," Natarle pointed out. "The Umbrella will provide adequate protection."

"Will they let us in, though?" Misato thought out loud. "The _Archangel_ is an Atlantic ship. Eurasia and Atlantia might be allies, but by no means they love you all Atlanteans here."

"We've to try," Mu said. "At least they won't blast us out of the air."

* * *

The harshly bright fluorescence, together with the sharp tang of antiseptic, dragged Shinji back to reality. As his stinging eyes opened ever so slowly, all that registered in his bleary mind was white.

_An unfamiliar ceiling. _A thought flitted pass. _Again._

Shinji pushed himself up, wincing as his swollen ankle began protesting. He was in a hospital of some sorts, with an IV attached to his right hand, and the soft beeping of a bio-diagnostic machine in the background. For a moment he thought he's back at Orb, but then the memories came flooding back.

_I'm not at Orb, _Shinji thought. _I'm inside a massive battleship they call the _Archangel_. I piloted this monstrous-looking machine called an Evangelion, and fought against an Angel. _Shinji shuddered, suddenly feeling nauseous._ I ... fell unconscious halfway._

What had happened afterwards?

Maybe Misato could provide some answers. At the moment, however, she was nowhere to be seen, so Shinji contented himself with his surroundings. He was in a two-bed ward, with the bed opposite his obscured by privacy curtains; he was not alone. Through a gap where the curtains meet Shinji saw bandages, pale skin, and sky-blue hair ...

_It's her! _Shinji realised with a pang. The girl whom his father had wanted to pilot EVA-01 in Shinji's place. The girl who had agreed to do so, despite her life-threatening injuries. The girl who had almost died ... because of Shinji.

* * *

Having decided the _Archangel_'s course, the bridge crew were back at their positions, preparing for the silent run towards the impregnable asteroid base of Artemis.

"Prepare the decoy!" Misato commanded. "When I give the all green, fire it in the direction we've decided."

To evade ZAFT's pursuit, Misato had decided on the use of a thermal decoy — a rocket fired in the opposite direction of the _Archangel_'s. The thermal pattern of the projectile would register on the enemy's scanners, and with any luck it would then lead them in a wild goose chase.

In war, however, things were never always that smooth-going. When one formulated a strategy, it would be wise to operate on the assumption that the enemy was, at least, as smart as you are. And assuming that the assumption holds true, engagement with Le Creuset's forces would almost be inevitable, no matter how much you tried to run.

"Once our course is set," Misato continued, "unravel the solar sails and cut engine output down to the minimum." The design of the _Archangel_ included two collapsible pairs of broad flexible mirrors that harnessed radiation pressure of light from the surrounding stars to boost the _Archangel_'s speed in outer space. Silent and requiring no energy input at all, the solar sails would render the warship virtually invisible on the enemy's scanners.

"Throughout the journey, the ship will take level two battle stations," Misato instructed. "I know it's a hassle, but we'd have to assume that Le Creuset is smarter than us. Worst case scenario, he might already have caught on to our bluff."

After structuring duty shifts for the next forty-eight hours, Misato left her post and exited the bridge. This time, she made her way to the medical unit. "You're awake," Misato said, pleasantly surprised, as she entered Shinji's ward.

"Good afternoon, Misato," Shinji said in a soft voice; the girl opposite his bed was still sleeping.

Misato headed over to Shinji's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I ..." What could he say? Everything was all a blank. "I'm fine."

Misato sighed. "That's good to hear," she said. "Though I can't say the same for Rei."

"Rei?"

Misato gestured over to the slumbering girl. "Ayanami Rei," she said. "An EVA pilot like you, Shinji. She was under the commander's charge when they picked her up from Heliopolis Commercial. They were caught in the crossfire during the ZAFT blitz, just like us. We were luckier, though; their transport was hit by a GINN during the assault."

"Father wanted her to pilot EVA-01," Shinji said. "He called her over to the hangar, despite her injuries ..."

Misato sighed again. "He was desperate," she said. "Nothing I say can justify his actions, but at least it's all over now, right?" She went over to Rei's bed and pulled up her blankets, frowning as her hands brushed against her neck. "She's running a fever," Misato murmured. "Probably an infection; I better warn Doctor Akira."

"Will she be alright?" Shinji asked anxiously.

"Oh, definitely," Misato said mildly. "The _Archangel_'s medical unit is state-of-the-art, more advanced than anything you can find in Heliopolis. I assure you, Rei'll be up and running in a few days time."

Shinji relaxed. "I see," he said. A tranquil silence followed.

"Alright then, Shinji," Misato said with a flourish after a brief consultation with her Blackberry. "Shall we move?"

"Move? Where?"

"Your room, of course," Misato said. "Or are you telling me you plan on staying here for the rest of our journey?"

"N-no, Misato," Shinji said quickly. "Um, where will I be staying?"

"Well, we've picked out a room for you. It's quite a spacious one, but you won't have any roommate. See, as much as you might had wanted to, we can't put you together with Rei." A grin broke out on Misato's face. "Sorry about that."

"It's OK," Shinji mumbled. He gave a smile, a tiny, benign and reassuring one. "After all, I'm always alone. No matter where I go."

Misato started at Shinji's last two statements, requiring a few long moments before she composed herself. "The fact is," she said, frowning, "I put my foot down. Anyway, the higher-ups have already approved."

"Huh?"

"I've moved your stuff to my room. There's a spare bed, so I'd be able to keep an eye on you." Misato forced a chuckle.

"I see." Shinji did not say anything else. Silence once again dominated the conversation, though it felt more awkward now. "I guess ... we better be going, then."

"Alright," Misato said heavily. "It's going to be quite a walk, though. Think your ankle can last?"

"Um ..."

"Don't worry," Misato said. "I came prepared." She gestured outside, where a wheelchair stood waiting.

"I'm alright, really —"

"Hush." Misato put a finger on Shinji's lips. "Humour me, OK?"

"I-if you say so ..." With some difficulty, Shinji seated himself on the wheelchair, and Misato began wheeling him to the lift lobby. A lift arrived half a minute later, which they took to the eleventh floor.

"Now then," Misato said enthusiastically, "we need to have a celebration!"

"Huh?" Shinji looked up. "What for?"

Misato winked at Shinji. "To welcome my new roommate, of course!"

* * *

Misato's definition of 'celebration', as it appeared, involved two glasses of apple cordial and packets of dehydrated field rations. The label on Shinji's airtight packet read CHICKEN CARBONARA PASTA, while the one on Misato's read TONKATSU CURRY UDON (DRY). As Misato attacked her rations with gusto, Shinji gazed down at his own packet, an apprehensive look on his face.

"You not eating?" Misato asked in between mouthfuls, taking a swig of cordial to wash the food down. "The food's quite good, even though it's dehydrated. One of NERV's science dorks made this a few years back; now he's got his own factory, and even the Orb military roped him in to make their food."

"N-no, I'll eat," Shinji said, poking tentatively at his packet, which felt suspiciously squishy. "It's just that ... I've never eaten food like this before ..."

"Well, that's bad!" Misato exclaimed, causing Shinji to jump in fright. "You can't be this picky, you know!"

"No, th-that's not what I meant —"

Misato ripped open Shinji's packet. "Actually, this is all the _Archangel_ has left," she said, her tone apologetic. "Our fresh food was supposed to come in tomorrow, just before we launch proper. With all that's happened, we're lucky we still have dehydrated food."

"I'm sorry ..." Shinji took his packet, his eyes widening as he munched into the nutritious sludge. "This ... this is pretty good."

"Delicious, right?" Misato said, smiling. "Dehydrated rations suck when you eat it out in the field, but put it through the microwave, and it can be quite heavenly — most of the time. And only if you don't mind the constipants they chuck inside."

Shinji choked on his food at Misato's last sentence. "C-constipants?"

"Just kidding."

"Misato!"

"Well, not for NERV's rations, anyway," Misato said. "I can't say so for the stuff the army contracted, though."

Misato took another mouthful of cordial, then checked her watch. "It's nearly nine," she said. "Let's head back after we're finished. You must be tired, after all that's happened."

"I'm alright, Misato," Shinji said, and then a yawn burst out from his mouth. "Oops ... I'm sorry."

Misato chuckled. "Don't be," she said. "Come on, get on the wheelchair. When we get back you can have a hot bath. Don't take too long, though; we're rather short of water as of now." The _Archangel_ was equipped with extensive water recycling facilities, but with the recent influx of refugees from Heliopolis the ship's water supplies had become dangerously strained.

"OK." Shinji rose from his seat —

And then there was an outbreak of screaming from outside the dining hall, a violent coagulation of shrill voices exploding and echoing all about the corridor. _"Flay!" _someone shouted. "Please calm down!"

"I will NOT calm down!" another voice bellowed, whom Shinji presumed to be the one called Flay. "Not till I find that bastard!"

Sai Argyle, one of Tolle's friends, barged into the dining hall, with a girl beside him, a magenta-haired teenager with a face as black as thunderclouds. As every single person present in the hall turned to stare, Sai halted in his tracks. The magenta-haired girl, whom Sai had called Flay, however, continued to storm towards the back of the hall, wide angry eyes scanning every soul present.

Just then, Flay made eye contact with Shinji, and she froze. Her face contorted, into an ugly expression of pure hatred and blazing fury. "You!" she shrieked, charging towards Shinji. Without warning, she slapped Shinji cheek, so hard that she drew blood.

In a flash, Misato was in front of Shinji. She lunged forwards and grabbed Flay's wrist. "Who are you? What the hell do you think you are doing?" she roared.

"Get away from me!" And Flay shoved Misato, the force of her assault sending her crashing into a nearby table. "You," she whispered, glaring at the prostrate Shinji. "You _beast_. I'm going to kill you today."

Flay pounced, fingers wrapping around Shinji's neck in a vice-like grip. As Shinji struggled she began to squeeze, hot angry tears streaming down her cheeks even as Shinji's face turned purple.

"That's ENOUGH!" And Misato single-handedly wrenched Flay away from Shinji, holding her high up in the air. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

"Explain? Need I do so?" Flay spat in Misato's face. "This boy here killed my friends! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!"

"What?"

"You fucking _bitch_, you're the captain of this ship, aren't you?" Flay said, breathing heavily. "You sent a damned _boy_ out in a mobile suit, and you let him trample all over my friends, and their families and homes —"

"Shut up!" Misato exploded. "It was all an accident!"

"Accident? ACCIDENT?!" Flay yelled, beyond reason. "Accident, was it, that you destroyed all of our homes? AND KILLED MORE THAN FIFTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE?"

Misato's arm fell limp, and the girl tumbled to the ground. "DAMN YOU ALL!" she shrieked. "YOU MONSTERS!"

"Come on, Shinji," Misato whirled around abruptly and said quietly. "Let's get out of here."

"DON'T YOU IGNORE ME!" Flay roared.

"Flay!" Sai yelled, rushing up to Flay and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Flay, come on, that's enough —"

Shinji picked himself up, his fists clenched. "What do you want me to do?" he muttered through his teeth as he struggled to keep the tears in. "I'm not piloting that thing because I wanted to ..."

"You insolent _dog_!" Flay screamed, grabbing Shinji's glass and flinging all its contents into his and Misato's faces. "You shouldn't be alive," she growled. "That would put the deaths of others into perspective, wouldn't it?"

"Flay ..." Sai pleaded.

"Get away from me!" Flay cried, shoving Sai away before sprinting out of the dining hall.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-07: Sky


	7. Sky

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-07: Sky

**25 January, CE 71**

"Sorry about that, Shinji," Misato said when they reached her bunk. "Guess our little party didn't work out quite well."

"No, it's OK, Misato," Shinji said softly. "I'm alright."

Misato did not doubt for a second that Shinji wasn't alright, but she kept silent. The door to her room slid open, and she wheeled Shinji in. "Welcome home, Shinji," she said cheerily.

Shinji hesitated. "I-I'm home," he then said with a small smile.

Misato's bunk was a spacious chamber partitioned into two by half plasterboard walls. On one side was a converted office, with a sleek workstation by one corner and a metal bookshelf by another. On the other side were the sleeping quarters, occupied by two metal beds situated side by side facing two wardrobes.

It all looked rather comfy, quite unlike the harsh and monotonous corridors outside. The lights here were not fluorescent, but of a gentle golden hue. Misato bunk was not the cookie cutter compartments Shinji had seen on his way here, but a _room_, an abode Misato made personal through the numerous posters plastered onto the walls and framed photographs propped up on her desk. A petite aroma-therapeutic burner sat on the workstation, a tiny but steady flame diffusing a subtle lavender fragrance throughout the room.

"I've unpacked your stuff already," Misato said. "They are in the left wardrobe. Which bed would you like?"

"Um ..." Shinji said. "I'm OK with anything, Misato."

"Is that so? Well, in that case I'll take the one nearer to the bathroom, then."

"Sure."

"Alright, then," Misato said with a flourish. "Now that everything's settled, I think it's high time that you take a bath, change into some comfortable clothes, and crash. Helps when you'd an absurdly bad day, I find."

"What about you, Misato?"

Misato stifled a yawn. "It's tempting, but I suppose I can't rest now," she sayid gloomily. "ZAFT's still after our assholes, and I've yet to meet up with the refugees Kira brought in earlier. So ... I guess you're on your own. For now."

"OK, I understand."

Misato sighed. "Well," she said, "I should be going on now. _Ciao_, Shinji." She turned on her heels.

"Umm, Misato?"

"Yes?"

"Uh," Shinji began. "Erm, what I want to say is ..."

"Go on," Misato said encouragingly.

"D-don't work yourself too hard," Shinji stuttered, flushing a deep beetroot red. Then, in a smaller voice, "Take care of yourself."

A broad smile blossomed on Misato's face. "OK," she said. "I will." She exited the room.

* * *

Shinji prepared himself a hot bath, but as he submerged beneath the water he found that he did not like it one bit. In the end, he drained all the water away, opting for a shower instead and consequently feeling extremely guilty for all the water he had wasted.

_Misato says a bath is good for a bad day, _he thought. _That's not true. Bathing now reminds me of being submerged in LCL. I ... I can still smell the blood._

To make amends for his wastage, Shinji took only three minutes with his shower. As he towelled himself dry his mind drifted back to the confrontation forty-five minutes before.

—_This boy here killed my friends. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!_

Did he really kill that Flay girl's friends? It ... it hadn't been him, had it? After all, half the time throughout the battle he was unconscious …

—_You sent a damned _boy _out in a mobile suit, and you let him trample all over my friends —_

Was it then, when Shinji was struggling to control EVA-01, to move it? That first few steps, and then the subsequent fall, it could have happened any time then —

But if EVA-01 had fallen on people, he would have felt it, wouldn't he?

Misato would know. Should he ask her? But what if the answer wasn't what he wanted to hear?

What if he had really killed the girl's friends? All because of his ineptitude?

With trembling hands, Shinji pulled on a T-shirt and pair of cotton shorts. There was a beep, from the intercom; there was somebody outside the room.

"Shinji?" It was Sai. "Ikari Shinji? It's Sai, Sai Argyle."

"I-I'm in!" Shinji stammered. "Wait a moment, please!" After dragging a comb through his hair Shinji bounded to the door. "Mr Argyle?" he said as he pulled open the door.

Starting a little at the formality, Sai said, "You can call me Sai. We met at the lounge earlier, remember? Me, and Tolle, Miri, Kuzzey, and Kira ..."

"Ye-yeah," Shinji muttered.

"Erm ..." Sai looked uncomfortable. "It is OK ... if I enter? I would like to talk to you about ... just now."

"Uh, sure." Shinji stepped to one side. "C-come in."

Turning around, Shinji's eyes widened in shock as Sai curved his spine in a deep bow towards him. "I'm sorry," Sai said quietly. "Flay ... wasn't herself."

Shinji looked away. "You don't have to do this," he murmured. "It's not your fault."

"Flay's my fiancée," Sai said. "I'm apologising on her behalf. And I'm also partly to blame, too ... I'm the one who told Flay that you were the pilot of the Evangelion."

"I was unconscious when EVA-01 went berserk," Shinji said, through gritted teeth. On the way here, Misato had told — albeit reluctantly — Shinji the events that transpired prior to Heliopolis' destruction. "And despite that, you all —"

"I know," Sai said. "Miss Katsuragi explained everything to us, when she was conferring with the refugees earlier. Shinji ... it's not your fault."

"You think so?" Shinji whispered, still not making eye contact with Sai. "What if the person EVA-01 killed was your Flay, then? Tell me."

"I ..." Sai slumped down on one of the chairs by Misato's workstation. "I asked this question myself before coming here ... I wouldn't be rational, I think. No, not me. I would hate the thing that killed my loved ones. The machine that turned on its pilot."

"Thanks," Shinji whispered. Strangely, there was a small smile on his face. "But really, to sugar-coat your words just to be nice ... you don't have to do useless things like that."

"Don't you get it?" Sai said vehemently. "You, a murderer? Don't think too highly of yourself! Flay's not the only victim, you know. _All _of us here has lost something. My friends and I, we all saw our homes being utterly destroyed. It's just that ... there are people who lost so much more than us."

Sai rose and made his way towards the door. "You're not a murderer, Shinji. You never were," he said gently before exiting.

* * *

"Got more than what you bargained for, didn't you?" Ritsuko said coolly as Misato entered the EVA control room.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Misato said as she took a seat beside Ritsuko.

"The boy, of course," Ritsuko answered. "Ikari Shinji."

"What are you trying to get at?"

Ritsuko smiled. "Surely you know," she says. "After all, you were the one who brashly stood up and volunteered to adopt Shinji."

"I did _not_ adopt Shinji," Misato said. "Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Regretting now, aren't you?" Ritsuko said. "Did you do all that just to make yourself look good?"

"Oh, just shut up," Misato said as Ritsuko chuckled. "I assume you're saying all these only because you saw what happened to us with Flay Allster."

"I didn't _see_ what happened. Maya told me. Said that Allster girl made some ... accusations."

"Spot on. Apparently, Shinji and I are mass murderers."

"Well, technically she's right. In a span of just two hours, NERV has become responsible for the deaths of more than 15,000 people."

"That's war for you," Misato muttered. "Fifteen thousand is nothing compared to what they did in Bloody Valentine."

"You're just trying to alleviate your guilt," Ritsuko said. "There's no point, Misato. Just live with it."

"Easier said than done. You shouldn't worry about me, though, I've more than enough experience with guilt." Misato paused. "It is what makes us human, after all. Shinji might not know that, though."

"Then it's your job as guardian to make sure he does," Ritsuko said simply.

"I'm working on that," Misato said. "What did you call me down here for, anyway?"

"This." Ritsuko jabbed a button on the keyboard, and immediately an image flashed on the large screen latched on to the front wall. "EVA-00. We're bringing it out of stasis."

"Here? Inside the ship? In outer space?" Misato said, alarmed. "Why so soon?"

"The Commander doesn't think the reliability of EVA-01's pilot is all that ... satisfactory," Ritsuko replied. "He wants a backup. _We_ need a backup."

Misato frowned. "Then you should tell him to stuff his mouth," she said. "You of all people should know how dangerous reactivating EVA-00 is."

"Unfortunately, I agree with the commander with regards to the reliability factor. Fear is Ikari Shinji's biggest enemy right now, Misato."

"Of course he's scared!" Misato exclaimed. "Who wouldn't be?"

Ritsuko gave a sigh. "Later," she said, a tad exasperated, "I'll show you a few testimonials I received from the instructors of EVA-02's pilot. Perhaps then you'd understand that fear might be a formidable enemy, but it can be conquered. And just so you know, EVA-02's pilot is just a year older than Shinji."

"Shinji just needs training," Misato insisted. "He will turn out fine, I promise you."

"And I never made any conclusions about Ikari Shinji's capabilities," Ritsuko said. "But in the time that he ascends into a pilot of considerable skill we need someone to cover him. You get me now, Misato?"

"I suppose you're right. But I will only give the green light once I'm sure Rei's fully recovered."

"Of course you do," Ritsuko said, giving a small smile. "Now how about you update me on our crusade towards the impregnable fortress of Artemis?"

* * *

To Shinji's chagrin, he found that he had left his phone back in the medical unit. While there wasn't anybody aboard the _Archangel_ that he would call or message, the Samsung smartphone also fulfilled a secondary purpose as music player. There were a total of 53 tracks inside the phone's hard drive, with the bulk of his library taken up by songs performed by his favourite artiste, Lacus Clyne, a popular Coordinator singer-composer hailing from the PLANTs — **P**roductive **L**ocation **A**lly on **N**exus **T**echnology, the Coordinators homeland of a total of 120 space colonies.

At first, Shinji was loathe to take even a step out of Misato's room. The prospect of running into anyone outside, worse, the likes of Flay Allster, or his father, and having to talk his way out was more than unbearable. The deathly silence inside Misato's bunk was torturous, and he longed for something to fill the void; music, after all, had always been his refuge since young whenever he was alone. In the end, he made the decision to drag himself out of the room into the glaring corridors of the _Archangel_.

The medical unit was just as Shinji has left it a few hours ago: cold, lifeless, and reeking of antiseptic. Of the four beds inside what had previously been his ward, only Rei was still inside, her eyes peering unblinkingly at the ward's newest entrant.

She was awake, at last. "Uh ... hi," Shinji said lamely.

"Ikari ... Shinji," Rei whispered. She begins pushing herself up, but given her state of health even such a menial task had become an exhausting feat for her frail body. As she panted, cold sweat pouring off her face, Shinji rushed up forth and sat her up.

"Thank you," Rei said quietly.

"You're welcome," Shinji murmured. It was then that he noticed the food tray on the sliding table by the foot of Rei's bed. On the tray was her breakfast, a steaming bowl of porridge and a cup of hot chocolate. "Are you hungry?"

"A bit, I think," Rei said in a whispery voice. Looking at her heavily bandaged arms, Shinji realised with a pang that she would not be able to feed herself. He pulled the food tray over, peeling the airtight cling wrap away from the cutlery.

"This looks good," Shinji said. He scooped a small spoonful of porridge. "Erm ... do you mind?"

"I ... no."

Shinji held the spoon forwards, and Rei swallowed the food with obvious difficulty a few bites later. "Is it hot?" Shinji asked in alarm.

"No, no," Rei replied. "It's just a bit ... bland."

"Oh, I see." Shinji looked around for soy sauce, but saw no dispenser. He sighed. "Sorry ... guess you've to bear with it. At least the porridge's warm, though."

"I understand." Over the next fifteen minutes, the tasteless porridge diminished to about half its original level, after which Rei piped up again. "Ikari ..."

"Ayanami?"

"I apologise, but I don't think I can eat anymore."

"Alright," Shinji said with a small smile. He set the spoon back in the bowl. "Um ..."

"Yes?"

"No-nothing." An awkward silence followed, which was subsequently broken five minutes later by the sharp wailing of sirens all throughout the _Archangel_. Shinji shot from his seat, fear evident on his face.

"_All units are needed for scramble," _Ibuki Maya's voice resounded across the ship's sprawling corridors. _"The _Archangel_ is entering level one battle stations. The following personnel please report to the briefing room now: Kira Yamato, Ikari Shinji, and Captains Mu La Flaga and Murrue Ramius,. I repeat ..."_

Shinji froze as he heard his name being blared from the speakers.

"They are calling for you," Rei said.

"Ye-yes," Shinji said shakily. "The ship is under attack. But ... but it can't be another Angel, right? Right?!"

"There is a possibility."

"I ..." Shinji was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe by the second. "I just fought one _yesterday_. I ... I can't fight another one! Not so soon!"

Shinji's heart faltered as Rei reached out and cupped his cheeks with her pale hands. "I ..." Rei whispered. "I can protect you. Don't worry. You needn't be scared."

Rei's words inevitably hauled Shinji's memory back to Heliopolis a day ago, to an image of a blue-haired girl struggling to pick herself up from the hospital gurney in spite of her grievous wounds. He swallowed, and pried Rei's hands gently away from his face.

"I ... got to go," Shinji said in a trembling voice, his face burning with shame.

He rose from his seat, and turned to leave. "I'll be right back," he said, before dashing out of the medical unit, one lone thought repeating itself in his mind over and over again.

_I'm not worth protecting ..._

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-08: Absolute Terror


	8. Absolute Terror

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-08: Absolute Terror

**26 January, CE 71**

Everyone was already present when Shinji entered the briefing room, panting after a mere three-minute jog from the lift lobby. The large screen in front was turned on, showing a weary-looking Misato in the _Archangel_'s bridge. "Shinji," Misato said, relief obvious in her voice. "You're here."

"You kept the lady waiting!" Mu roared, grappling Shinji and kneading his head. "Some gentleman you are!"

"So-sorry!" Shinji sputtered when Mu finally released him. "Sorry, Misato."

"You're here, and that's all that matters," Misato said. "Now that everyone is present, we can start our briefing."

"Is there an Angel, Misato?" Shinji asked.

Misato shook her head. "No, this time we'll be fighting against a far worse enemy," she said grimly. A few expert keystrokes on her own terminal, and a star chart replaced Misato's video feed.

"The icon in the centre is the _Archangel_," Misato explained. "Surrounding us in a net formation are three of Rau Le Creuset's ships: one Nazca-class and two Laurasia frigates. Our telephoto cameras picked them out just fifteen minutes ago."

Misato kneaded her temples. "It seems that I've underestimated Le Creuset," she said darkly. "Not only has he deduced our destination correctly, he has also extrapolated our trajectory, and has acted as such. His ships are closing in on us as we speak. At our current speed, we will never make it to Artemis before Le Creuset catches us on his scanners."

"So what you're trying to say is," Murrue piped up, "It's time to let it rip."

"Correct." The star chart disappeared, and Misato came back on the screen. "Once we get you all prepped and suited up, it's time to go all out."

"What's the flight plan?" Mu asked.

"The _Archangel_ will be bait," Misato said. "We will distract Le Creuset, while you two will sabotage the Laurasias with your Zeroes. In the meantime, Kira and Shinji will protect the _Archangel_ using the Strike and EVA-01 respectively. Any questions?"

Mu gave a salute. "All clear, ma'am," he said. Beside him, Murrue and Kira both shook their heads in unison, with Kita looking like he was about to throw up.

Murrue tapped Kira's shoulder. "Let's go," she said, and they exited the briefing room together with Mu, while Shinji lingered behind.

"What is it, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"No-nothing." Shinji hesitated. "It's just that … this time I've to fight against mobile suits? I … I'm not a soldier, right? I'm just an EVA pilot … right?"

"You misunderstood me, Shinji," Misato said. "Believe me when I say it, but your father will never, ever involve you in more combat than what is required of you, let alone participate in the war. And neither will I. We weren't even supposed to be here in the first place."

"What will I be doing, then?"

"An EVA's AT Field is an extremely powerful tool," Misato explained. "At its maximum power, according to Ritsuko, it can even warp space itself. The Umbrella of Artemis cannot even hope to compare with it. When the _Archangel_ begins its mission, I need you to protect us with Unit-01's AT Field."

"AT Field …" Shinji murmured. "I've never done such a thing before."

"From what I've seen, projecting an AT Field appears to be rather effortless," Misato said with a small smile. "A manifestation of one's resolution and ego … literally 'mind over matter'."

Shinji rose from his seat. "Thanks, Misato," he said. "I'll be going."

"Things will get pretty hectic later," Misato said. "If you need anything just holler, alright? I'll try my best."

The connection cut, and it was then that Ritsuko barged into the briefing room, a bulky suitcase cradled in her hands. "Before you go," she said curtly, setting the suitcase down onto the conference table, "you'll need to wear this." She opened the suitcase.

"What is this?" Shinji asked, fingering the fabric contained within.

"Your Plug Suit," Ritsuko answers. "You saw firsthand how difficult it was to control EVA; that was because you only had your nerve clips on the last time. The Plug Suit will work in tandem with the nerve clips to provide more synchronisation nodes between you and EVA. You get me?"

"N-no. I'm sorry."

"No matter." Ritsuko pulled the suit out of the suitcase and laid it on the table. "You were supposed to receive your Plug Suit only sometime after this week, once we've finished all the fitting and calibration work. As you can expect, the Suit in your hands is a rush job; I made last-minute configurations based on the combat log from the previous battle, so don't blame me if it goes out of sync. It should be perfect, though; I never make mistakes. Now put it on."

"Ummmm ..." Shinji gestured sheepishly towards the door. "If you may ..."

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes. "Don't think too highly of yourself," she said. "If you're thinking I'd get aroused from seeing your nude body you're deluded. Now stop wasting everyone's time; I need to teach you how to don the Suit."

Face flushing violently, Shinji turned away and ripped off his clothes. Snatching the suit off the table, he plunged into it, surprised at how easily his body slid into the suit despite its bulk.

"It's too big," Shinji said glumly, as he pulled the suit up to his neck.

"Give me your hand." Ritsuko held Shinji's right hand and tapped a button embedded in the wrist area. Immediately the Plug Suit hissed pneumatically and contracted, writhing and shrinking until it conformed to Shinji's skinny physique.

"Amazing!" Shinji said in awe.

Ritsuko gave a small grin. "With the Plug Suit on you will find that piloting EVA becomes a piece of cake," she said. "Now hurry on, everyone's waiting."

* * *

"_Electrifying LCL."_

_Whoosh._ Shinji let out a deep breath, which bubbled out in the LCL. Now that he had gotten used to the putrid liquid, Shinji finds that the submergence process was actually quite restful.

Mu, Murrue and Kira had all already launched, and now Shinji was waiting for his turn at the _Archangel_'s linear catapult. _"Pilot, Evangelion EVA-01,"_ Ibuki Maya enunciated through the radio, _"systems all green. Register your ID, and we can initiate launch."_

"Ikari Shinji," Shinji replied. "EVA-01, launching!"

And he is out.

A window flashed in Shinji's vista as Misato established a video link with EVA-01. "Shinji, listen up," Misato said. "Throughout this mission, the _Archangel_ will be performing complicated manoeuvres. You need to keep up, and use your AT Field to deflect any missiles that the ship cannot shoot down. If I had my way I would have given you authorisation to use a beam rifle, but you have yet to master the EVA's targeting system."

"The ship is big," Shinji said. "I don't think I can spot every missile that comes our way."

"Leave that to me," Ibuki Maya chirped in the background. "I will link the _Archangel_'s scanners with Unit-01's INSPIRE OS. Just direct your EVA towards the anomalies I mark out, and everything else should be fine."

_Even with the AT Field, will it be painful if I take the hits? _Shinji wanted to ask, but then stopped himself. _Everyone is in danger, and all I can think about is myself? It will be alright, there are no Angels this time. I won't need anybody to protect me. Nobody will die._

"_Archangel_, full speed ahead!" Misato announced. "Destination: the Eurasian asteroid fortress of Artemis!"

* * *

Five minutes into the operation, and already the _Archangel_ was under heavy fire. All four Gundam-type weapons in Rau Le Creuset's possession were launched simultaneously, and together with their motherships they swooped down gleefully upon the lone _Archangel_ like hyenas upon an injured deer. From the moment Misato had given the command to restart the ship's engines an epic battle for their lives had begun, pitting an under-supplied battleship and her motley crew against four prototype weapons and a fleet of ships that had had entire enemy squadrons in their kill log.

The _Archangel_ was a force to behold, the sheer might of her arsenal keeping her assaulters at bay. But Le Creuset was well known for his penchant for playing with his food before consuming it, and it was soon painfully obvious that he was merely taking potshots and assessing the _Archangel_'s power, the skill of her commanders and the unity of her crew.

A siren exploded in Shinji's Entry Plug as a red blip erupted in the linkup between EVA-01 and the _Archangel_'s scanners. A lone projectile had survived the close in weapons systems' barrage, barrelling towards her engines unhampered —

Clamping down on the sudden instinct to dodge, Shinji dived right into the missile's trajectory. He cringed away, bracing himself for the hit and screaming wildly as if his life depended on it …

"Shinji!" It was Misato, bellowing at him through the radio. _"Shinji!"_

"Huh?" Shinji opened his eyes.

"Shinji, pay attention to the ship!" Misato yelled. "You will get left behind if you space out like this!"

_Huh? _Shinji whirled around, and got the fright of his life when he saw that the _Archangel_ was just a spot in the distance. "But the missile ..."

"You took the hit, and I thank you for the effort, really!" Misato shot back. "But you got to watch out for your surroundings; I'm not as good a multi-tasker as you think I am! What if your engines run out of fuel?!"

"The AT Field did its job, Shinji," Maya said. "You shouldn't have felt the missile's impact; the explosion was far too weak for the shockwaves to even begin to pierce your shield."

_I really didn't feel anything, _Shinji thought in amazement. _This is ethereal._ Could the AT Field really be that powerful? _Of course it is. _Shinji's heart sank as a sudden memory flickered. _The EVA wouldn't have survived Heliopolis if its AT Field was weak._

Professor Akagi was right, Shinji found: the Plug Suit really did make piloting EVA easier. With the Plug Suit on, Shinji didn't even have to manipulate the joysticks, relying solely on brain output to control EVA-01's flight trajectory. There was virtually no lag at all, thus allowing for more complicated manoeuvres which Shinji steadily grew more reliant on as he struggled to keep up with the _Archangel_. But even as Shinji got more familiar with the EVA's offensive and defensive capabilities he came to realise that they were completely surrounded.

_Can we do this? _Shinji thought fleetingly as yet another shot evaded the range of his AT Field, engulfing the _Archangel_ once more in fragmentation. _Can we escape? I … I can't be everywhere. The ship's armour is tough, but against such unified might … can it hold?_

A communications window opened; it was Kira. "Miss Misato," he said. "I'm going forward. Shinji, I need you to stay vigilant, alright?"

Another window flickered into view. "Be careful," Misato said. To Shinji, "Shinji, you heard that, so give your best, yeah?"

Shinji's fingers clenched tighter around the EVA's control sticks. He nodded his head. "Be careful, Mr Kira."

Kira gave a small smile. "Just Kira will do," he said, before logging off.

The enemy's attacking force consisted of a total of four G weapons: the speed-strike units GAT-X303 Aegis and GAT-X207 Blitz, the artillery unit GAT-X103 Buster, and the GAT-X102 Duel, an all-rounder mobile suit. With all four concentrating their devastating firepower on the _Archangel_, she stood no chance even with her sturdy hull and beam-absorbing lamination.

Shinji could only watch as Kira darted ahead in the Strike, consequently drawing the attention of the Aegis and Duel. _Will he be alright? _The thought flitted into Shinji's mind for half a second, which he immediately shoved away into the deeper and dustier recesses of his mind. With the Strike out in the fray, Shinji and his EVA were all that stood between the _Archangel _and a fiery oblivion. Forcibly directing the whole nine yards of his attention towards the G-type mobile suits, Shinji surged ahead after a moment's hesitation.

Yet the enemy's fire seemed to have ceased. Unnerved by the presence of EVA-01, a monstrous-looking construct that had catalysed the complete destruction of the space city Heliopolis, the pilots of the Buster and Blitz paused their assault and began circling the _Archangel_, the poker faces on their units seemingly twisted into contemplation, and even fear.

"Misato!" Shinji burst out. "Now's our chance!"

"I don't need you to tell me that! Fire Gottfrieds in wide-arc configurations!" Misato yelled. "Next, fire Helldarts in cross formation!"

With the ferocity of an enraged dragon the _Archangel_ retaliated, its main cannons snapping its jaws ravenously and missile pods pumping relentlessly. The Buster and Blitz veered away from the heavy beams, only to be confronted by deadly streams of missiles. Hampered by its artillery, the slower-moving Buster had a close shave with total annihilation as the Gottfried beams scraped past its armour, the sparks thrown up burning more radiantly than New Year Day's fireworks.

Having torn opened a hole through the enemy's formation, the _Archangel _rocketed on ahead, with EVA-01 trailing in her wake. Yet a few seconds of hesitation were all that passed before a renewed assault began, the Buster and Blitz attacking with revitalised fervour. Still Artemis loomed ever so far ahead, its signal lights twinkling as if mocking the _Archangel_ and her crew.

On the other end of the battlefield an intense dance was unfolding, its choreography improvised by its performers. Blades flash and guns erupt, and even as time trickled the stalemate between the Strike and Aegis continued, with neither side making any progress at all.

Shinji was then aware of a radio link opening between the Strike and Aegis, through which a heated argument began to unravel. And as he heard the words being exchanged his heart contorts, the wretched feeling accentuated by a wave of nausea rising from his stomach.

"_Kira!" _yelled the pilot of the Aegis. _"Kira Yamato!"_

"Athrun?!" came Kira's shocked voice. "Athrun Zala!"

_They know each other! _Shinji realised in shock.

"_Stop it! Put your weapon away, Kira!" _Athrun Zala was shouting. _"We're not enemies, am I right? Why must we fight against each other? You're a Coordinator, aren't you? Why are you fighting against us, then?!"_

_Mr Yamato's a Coordinator?! _But that shouldn't be surprising, really. After all, only Coordinators could operate mobile suits. Shinji should have known right from the start.

"I'm NOT a member of the Earth forces!" Kira bellowed. "I'm piloting this thing because my friends are onboard the ship!"

"_What are you talking about? How can there be civilians in a warship?!"_

"There are!" Kira countered fiercely. "After you all destroyed Heliopolis!"

"_Heliopolis? Us?! Are you crazy, Kira?" _Athrun exploded._ "Didn't you see that damn thing in the middle of the city?"_

"ZAFT attacked Heliopolis first!" Kira shot back. "Let me ask you, then! Why are you piloting a mobile suit? Why are you even in ZAFT? You told me you hated wars!"

"_Because the Naturals, even after killing so many people, are still not satisfied!" _Athrun snapped furiously, his voice shaking badly. _"And then they went and made these weapons! Tell me, Kira, if it was you, how would you react?!"_

"I don't know!" Kira cried out. "But Heliopolis is neutral! And yet you all went and attacked our homes … for what?"

_Mr Kira and that pilot are friends, _Shinji thought with a pang, _and yet they are now fighting each other. Are they bent on killing each other? Or does a chance at salvation still exists? Will I … be in the same situation?_

Fleetingly, Shinji's mind drifted to his friends, back at Orb. Suzuhara Toji, a tall and lanky boy misconstrued by many as the class delinquent, but Shinji knew better, for Toji was the proud bearer of third academic placing in the entire standard. Horaki Hikari, Toji's girlfriend, executive chef to be, and the reason why he could never place second. Aida Kensuke, Toji's best bud since kindergarten and the reason why he could never place first.

_Can hatred really root itself so deeply? That you'll not hesitate to kill your friends? The people they love? Destroy their homes?_

As the faces of his friends surfaced hot shame fills Shinji. _I lied to Misato,_ he thought. _I … I'm not alone, after all. I just never expected her to be so nice to me, even when I fumbled so badly during the last battle._

Abruptly, Gendo's face emerged. _My father? What if … what if Misato orders me to kill Father? Or the other way round?_

Shinji began trembling. _I … don't know. Shouldn't the answer be obvious? But I don't know. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'll do._

_Empty … I'm all empty …_

A continuous series of warning beeps intruded into Shinji's melancholy thoughts, dragging him back to the chaotic reality that was the battlefield. An image of the Strike entered his vista, and in a flash Shinji knew that something was wrong.

The Strike was not moving. It was completely stationary, its beam rifle hanging limp in its hand. What's more, its red-blue-white colour scheme was gone. The image taken from EVA-01's telephoto lens showed only a dead mobile suit swathed in dirty shades of grey.

"_Phase Shift down!"_ someone cried out over the radio.

"Phase Shift?" Shinji wondered out loud. "What's that?"

"_Phase Shift armour."_ Maya answered. _"A new technology developed for the G weapons. It can actually absorb more than ninety-five percent of impact damage rendered by artillery and melee weapons. However, it requires high amounts of energy to operate, and is as such a rather huge burden on the mobile suits' power supplies."_

It hit Shinji then. _The Strike's out of power. _But before he could even begin to react, the Aegis swerved in for the kill —

Yet destroy the Strike the Aegis did not. Instead, it transited into its auxiliary mobile armour mode, using the humongous grappler at its bow to anchor itself to the immobile Strike. Its thrusters firing up to full capacity, the Aegis then embarked on a retreat trajectory back towards its mothership.

At the same time, blinding light flooded Shinji's cockpit. A welcome sign to any defending force, it was the light of the universal retreat signal flares. Looking ahead, Shinji's heart rose as he saw the wreckage that had been the Laurasia-class frigates' launch catapults only a few moments ago.

"Mission accomplished, we thrashed their catapults," Mu's jubilant voice blared through the radio. "Artemis, here we come —"

"Wait," Murrue cut in. "The Strike's down!"

"That boy can't return back?" Mu said, horrified. "That idiot!"

"Listen up!" Misato barked. "Mu, Murrue, I need you to attack the Aegis. Do whatever it takes to make that pilot release Kira. In the meantime, I'm having the hangar release a new Striker Pack. Any questions?"

"No problem," Mu said. "Be right back."

A sudden thought seized Shinji at that moment. "N-no," he said quietly. "I'll do it." And before anyone could even say anything, he switched his EVA's course and thundered straight ahead, towards the Aegis and its hapless quarry.

"Shinji, you idiot! Get back here now!" Misato roared. "Mu, Murrue, hurry! Make sure that kid doesn't do anything stupid!"

A crimson haze enveloped Shinji, rendering him oblivious to Misato's commands and any other external stimulus. All he could see, or rather, feel, are the silhouettes of the pilots inside the Strike and Aegis; Kira Yamato watching helplessly from within his cockpit as the distance between him and the _Archangel_ widened, and the faceless man named Athrun Zala.

Burdened by its extra weight, the Aegis lagged behind its comrades. Shinji caught up to it easily, yelling himself hoarse as he reached out to those accursed grapplers —

"Shinji?!" Kira's shocked yell caused the radio to crackle. "What are you doing here? Get back!"

Blinded by red-hot fury, Shinji did not hear anything. The Aegis' grapplers had encompassed the entirety of his being, and had become, as such, the sole reason for his existence. Powered by Shinji's manic determination, EVA-01's AT Field manifested automatically, consequently deflecting all the retaliatory attacks rendered by Athrun Zala's comrades.

"Kira, you still have any fuel in your Striker Pack left?" Misato boomed.

"Ye-yeah, but —"

"No buts! Get your ass over in front of catapult two right now! They are sending a new pack over!"

"Huh?"

"These goons don't look ready to give up just yet!" Mu interrupted. "We need to show them that we're not done either!"

"_ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" _Shinji roared bestially as he tore off the Aegis' grappler hooks one by one. Trapped within the EVA's claws with nowhere else to run, a desperate Athrun Zala began powering up the mobile suit's energy cannon, only to have the it meet an untimely end when Shinji punched the barrel.

"Shinji! SHINJI! That's enough!" Misato bellowed. "The enemy's not attacking anymore! _Shinji!_"

Frustrated by the ineffectiveness of its beam rifle, the Duel stowed away the weapon and pounced with its beam sabre raised instead. _"Yzak, get away!" _Athrun yelled in horror. _"This is the monster that destroyed Heliopolis!"_

Because the channel between the Aegis and Strike was still open, Shinji heard every single word Athrun Zala had uttered over the _Archangel_'s radio network. At his last sentence, Shinji faltered immediately, slumping forward in his seat.

Subsequently, EVA-01's AT Field dissolved, leaving it completely open to attack. The Duel's sabre landed, and if not for Kira's timely arrival the EVA would have its arm amputated in half.

"_Yzak! YZAK!" _Athrun roared. _"We're retreating!"_

"_Monster, you say?!" _the pilot of the Duel, Yzak Joule, snapped back. _"Look at it! I can snap it with my fingers!"_

"_At this rate, it will be _us _that run out of power! Now get back here! This is an order!"_

And as the four G-type mobile suits became nothing more than mere blinking dots in the distance, Mu's grip on the joysticks relaxed. "It's over," he said. "It's finally over."

"I'm worried for that boy," Murrue remarked. "He's become catatonic."

"Kira, Kira Yamato," Mu called out. "How's Shinji doing?"

"I … I don't know," Kira said shakily, sounding ready to crumble himself. "He's still conscious, though."

"We'll check the both of you down when we get back," Mu said. "Now hang in there, there's just a trifle bit left before we hit Artemis … nearly there …"

* * *

"Ikari Shinji!" Misato exploded as she barged into the male changing room. "Just what the hell were you thinking —"

As she caught sight of Shinji slumped against the lockers, trembling and only halfway out of his Plug Suit, Misato relented. "Damn it, you're still wet!" she gasped as she kneeled beside Shinji. "What if you catch a cold? Hold on — is that LCL?! What have you been doing all this while?!"

"Mi-Misato," Shinji stammered. "I … I …" He broke off from the sentence halfway, as a thought repeated itself continuously in his head —

_MonsterthatkilledHeliopolisMonsterthatkilledHeliop olisMonsterthatkilledHeliopolisMonsterthatkilledHe liopolis —_

"Let's get you washed up first," Misato said firmly. "Come on …" And she half-carried, half-pushed Shinji into a nearby shower cubicle. Grunting, she ripped off Shinji's Plug Suit and slammed the shower on.

When she was done Misato was a slippery mess. Despite that, and the fact that Shinji was the opposite gender, she appeared to not give a slightest damn as she towelled Shinji dry. Then, sighing, she said, "That's all I can do for you now. Your clothes are in your locker. I'll be waiting outside."

Five minutes later Shinji stumbled out of the changing room, his lip quivering. Without any preamble he whispered, "Misato … I almost killed him."

Misato's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"I … I didn't know what I was doing," Shinji continueed. "That unquenchable anger … the rage … Misato, I was fully aware, but it was more like I was a _spectator_. Not Ikari Shinji, but a spectator."

"Shinji …" Misato moved forward, and holds Shinji's shoulders.

"Mi-Misato, is it normal? Do both EVAs and their pilots go berserk? Tell me!" Shinji pleaded. "I don't want to kill any more people."

"You've never killed anyone," Misato said determinedly. Then she pulled Shinji in a tight hug. "Never, you hear me? Heliopolis was an accident. You were already unconscious even before Unit-01 went berserk."

She rubbed Shinji's back. "I'll get to the bottom of this," she said. "I'll find out what happened. In the meantime, I promise you, this won't happen again."

"I … I'm sorry …"

"I'll watch out for you, so don't be scared, alright?" Gently, Misato broke away. "Now, I need you to head back first; there's something I've to take care of in the bridge. Do not make any detours; you need to get back to our room as fast as you can. Once you're there, lock the door, and do not open it, not even if you hear my voice."

Shinji perked up at Misato's abrupt change in tone. "What happened?"

Misato bit her lip. "The _Archangel_ … she's under siege."

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-09: The Great Escape


	9. The Great Escape

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-09: The Great Escape

**27 January, CE 71**

Five minutes after Misato left Shinji darted out of the changing room and sprinted towards the lift lobby. Barely two seconds after he reached there, however, one of the lifts alighted at his floor, from within which a trio of soldiers emerged, all clad from head to toe in combat gear.

Shinji breath hitched and he took a quivering step back, as the OMNI tabs on the soldiers' shoulders glared metaphorically at him. But the soldiers themselves lowered their rifles when they saw Shinji, the fierce expressions on their faces relaxing into thin smiles.

"Oi, oi," one of them said gruffly. "Hey boy, chill a bit, will ya? Our rifles are unloaded." Shinji seriously doubted that was the case, but it was pretty obvious that the soldiers meant no harm. Still, it was with a suspicious voice that he addressed them, "Who are you?"

The one who spoke earlier stepped forth. "I'm Sergeant Damien Walker, of the 788th Space Division," he said, "and these are my men. We were ordered to escort all crew to the messing section of the ship."

"Erm ..." Shinji hesitated. "Alright."

Hoping fervently that he didn't make the wrong decision, Shinji followed Sergeant Walker and his team into the lift, which they took down to the tenth floor. As they exited the lift lobby and turned into a sprawling corridor Shinji was met with another surprise, in the form of a rather ruffled-looking Sai with a second team of troopers striding down the same corridor.

"Hiya," Sai said as he caught up with Shinji. "Nice to see you drop by."

"What happened to you?" Shinji asked as he took in Sai's dishevelled appearance.

"Mr La Flaga tried to stuff the both of us into his locker when he saw the OMNI soldiers," Sai said, wincing at the memory. "Obviously he failed, and now they are taking him on land, together with the captain and the other officers."

"Misato ... too?"

Sai nodded. "Yeah," he said, chewing on his lip. "That was after they surrounded the _Archangel_ with armed mobile armours and swarmed us with their troopers."

Shinji's jaw tightened, as the nagging worry in his mind stubbornly clung on, refusing to let go. He wrung his wrists, and tried to push the unnerving thought to the back of his head. When his efforts proved fruitless, he began looking around for a distraction, and found—

"Ah," Shinji gasped. "Sai, you're joining the army?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Sai said as he fingered the sleeve of his orange coverall, the left breast on which had the OMNI insignia sewn. "Nah, I wouldn't enlist for a million bucks. Nope, it's just an initiative from one of my friends."

"Initiaive?"

"Yep," Sai said. "You remember Miri? Miriallia Haw, Tolle's girlfriend. She was the one who brought it up. We can't be with Kira at the frontlines, but we can be his backup. We volunteered to work at the bridge, since all of us had a little experience with military computer systems, but they had enough people ... we got posted to the hangar in the end. And that's the story of how we came to be in possession of these clothes. Just so you know, they smell."

"Kira ..." Shinji murmured. "Is he alright?"

Sai shrugged. "I wonder," he said in a resigned tone. "He says he is, but I doubt so. You know, earlier on, after he landed, he locked himself up inside his mobile suit. We had to pry him out when he didn't respond to our calls."

Shinji bit his lip. _I think I can understand why Kira acted the way he did,_ he thought. _He fought with his own friend just now. I fought monsters, the Angels. But he had to battle his friend as if he was an Angel._ Shinji's head drooped. _I ... my circumstances cannot even hope to compare with Kira's._

"What about you?" Sai piped up.

"Huh?" Shinji blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Sai's hand landed on Shinji's shoulder. "The last time I checked, you were looking as messed up as Kira. No offence."

"None taken," Shinji mumbled, his cheeks flushing. "I'm alright now, though."

Sai's eyes narrowed. "If you say so ..." he said, unconvinced. "I'll take your word for it. Anyway, I think you're in good hands, so maybe I shouldn't worry too much ... right?"

"I think you might be right." Shinji gave a small smile, his memory flashing to a point in time just ten minutes ago, when Misato had hugged him tightly, and said with that warm gesture, _It's OK, I'm here, I'm here._ "I'm really in good hands."

* * *

_**Archangel**_

The _Archangel_'s dining hall was packed full of people when Shinji and Sai entered. Having swarmed the ship earlier, the troopers of the 788th Space Division had proceeded to round up every single crew and refugee and subsequently cram them into the tiny chamber. One could scarcely scratch an itch in such overcrowded quarters, and the stench of what seemed like soiled diapers that had been left for too long lingered in the stuffy air.

"Damn, they are treating us like POWs here," Sai said under his breath. Then he rounded on his escorts, yelling above the din, "This is ridiculous. Do you really have to squeeze every single living soul on this ship here?!"

"I'm really sorry," Sergeant Walker spoke up, poker face intact. "But we have our orders. Now, we need you to stay inside here. You're free to join your family and friends, but you need permission and an escort should you require to leave this area."

That said, the soldiers turned and exited the hall. Barely two seconds later, a loud cry caught both Shinji and Sai's attentions. Whirling around, they saw Miriallia waving frantically from one of the benches at the far corner of the dining hall, the expression on her face telling of nothing but absolute relief.

"Thank goodness you two are alright!" Miriallia exclaimed as Shinji and Sai headed over. Sai's friends, Shinji saw, had occupied the entire table, together with — Shinji's heart sank — Flay.

"There's nothing to worry about in the first place," Sai said easily as he slid into a blank space beside Flay. "Those soldiers were nice enough. But enough about Shinji and me. Doesn't someone here have something to say?" And his eyes flickered to his left.

Flay pouted. "Sai —"

"Flay," Sai said in a firm voice. "You promised."

"OK, fine!" Flay shoved away from her seat. Grunting, she stalked over to Shinji.

Shinji cringed away. "Wh-what is it?"

"Will it hurt to look at me when I'm talking to you?" Flay said brusquely.

"N-no, I guess." Slowly, and jerkily, as if his neck was a hinge that needed oiling, Shinji turned towards Flay.

And then, through her teeth, Flay said, "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"  
"I said, I'm sorry!" Flay burst out. "I'm sorry for all that I said earlier ..."

Shinji clenched his fists. "Aren't you angry at me?"

"Angry? Of course I am!" Flay snapped. "You were the one who piloted that damn EVA and trampled on all over my friends. And ..." She swallowed. "I was the one who watched them die."

Flay's lip quivered. "I was too scared to do anything. I could have ... I could have saved them. I don't know how, but they could still be here with me now, if I did _something_."

Shinj's head bowed. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I wasn't strong enough to control EVA."

"OK, I think this is getting too far," Sai said, rising from his seat. With one hand on Flay's arm, he said, "Both of you, stop this blame game now. Flay, I asked you to talk to Shinji, not berate yourself. What's done is done, yeah? All of us here had lost something in Heliopolis, be it family, friends, or our homes."

Numbly, Flay nodded her head. To Shinji, she said, "Would it be audacious for me to say that we're even now?"

"N … no," Shinji said, managing a small smile.

* * *

**Artemis**

Misato, meanwhile, together with Mu, Murrue and Natarle, were taken deep into the bowels of the Artemis asteroid fortress, escorted by a separate section of troopers. When she could not take it anymore, Misato strode up ahead and piped up, "Hey there."

"What is it?" the soldier said without turning back.

"I don't know if you're allowed to say it, but just where in the world are we going?"

"Our CO wants a word with the officers of your ship. We're heading to his office now."

Misato sighed. "You could have said so earlier, you know."

"I understand, but nobody asked."

The commanding officer of the Eurasian Federation 788th Space Division was Colonel Gerard Garcia, a lean and imposing man in his fifties. As Misato and company entered his office he spun around on his swivel chair, appraising everyone present with a thin smile. "Welcome to Artemis," Colonel Garcia said grandly as he rose from his seat. "Captains La Flaga and Ramius, Lieutenant Badgiruel, and ..." His eyes flickered towards Misato.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato," Misato said stiffly, "of the United Emirates of Orb."

Garcia consulted the computer terminal on his desk. "From the IDs presented to us upon entry, it would appear that the three of you here are indeed genuine military staff of the Atlantic Federation armed forces. This Katsuragi Misato, on the other hand ..." His gaze fell on Misato.

"NERV, eh? We cross-referenced the name with our database, and we found nothing. Are you sure you're even from Orb?" Garcia folded his arms. "Now that you're here in person, why don't you enlighten us? What exactly is NERV? Might you have anything to do with the weird mobile suit-sized machines we found in your ship's hangars?"

Taking a deep breath, Misato then spoke, "You're right; the machines that your men discovered in the _Archangel_'s hangars do belong to us. More than half of the ship's crew comprise of men and women from NERV, a paramilitary organisation established some five years ago, to combat large biological entities we term 'Angels'." She paused.

"Angels?" Garcia snapped. "What angels? Look here, are you insulting me?"

"No, I'm not," Misato said coolly. "If you don't believe me, why don't you check the machines out yourself? I would think that reviewing the EVAs and their operation logs will prove more informative than listening to my drivel."

"Of course I will," Garcia said immediately. "Until we can ascertain that your ship does not pose any danger to the base, all your equipment and crew will be under our jurisdiction."

"What about us, then, sir?" Murrue asked. "When will we be allowed to return to our ship?"

"I apologise," Garcia said, with no apology in his voice whatsoever, "but I'm afraid I simply cannot allow you four to leave just yet. I also realise that your ship, the _Archangel_, in great need of resupply, but until our checks are done, all that we can provide are minimal food and water, enough to tide your crew over."

"Sir," Natarle's voice rang sharply across the cavernous office, "you need to understand. It is crucial that we head to Earth ASAP. Alaska is expecting us."

"Alaska, eh?" A chill went down Misato's spine as Garcia's lips curled.

_Ahh, damn it._ "Our situation is far more precarious than you think," Misato spoke up. "Prior to our entry into Artemis, we were being pursued by ZAFT." _I think I know what he's up to now ... this is_ _no good._

"ZAFT? You mean ... them?" With a laugh Garcia reached over and activated a program in his terminal. With a soft whirr the shutters fixed onto the far wall rolled back to reveal an expansive screen, showing a live video feed from one of the telephoto cameras outside of Artemis.

"It can't be ..." Misato gasped, jumping from her seat as she took in the lone Laurasia-class carrier hovering on the screen. "They have not given up yet?" With its charred launch catapult, the warship could belong to only one person.

"We didn't do enough damage," Mu said through gritted teeth. "That damn ship is still operational. The moment we leave Artemis those damned mobile suits will be after our heads in an instant."

"As you can see, this is one more reason why the ship has to stay," Garcia drawled. "You'll be safe here, trust me."

"Sir," Murrue began, "that ship's led by _Le Creuset_—"

"And even Patrick Zala couldn't break wind in here once we have our Umbrella up." Garcia laughed as if he had made the funniest joke in the world. "If Le Creuset wants your ship that badly then he has to lick my boots and beg like a dog first."

Misato raised an eyebrow. "Is Artemis' lightwave barrier really that impregnable?"

"Of course it is," Garcia said easily. "Now, as we perform our routine checks on your ship, I need all four of you to remain in the rooms we have specially prepared for your respite." The door to his office hissed open, and a section of soldiers marched in, presumably for another round of escort work. "Fret not about collateral damage, because I'll personally head down to inspect your equipment. I assure you that we will return your ship in one piece, so rest easy, all right?"

* * *

_**Archangel**_

A commotion erupted across the _Archangel_'s dining hall as Colonel Garcia made his entrance, his nose crinkling at the mingled odours. "What the hell is this?" he snapped at his subordinates. "How could you squeeze everyone in here like this?"

"But, sir," protested the sergeant major, "you were the one who instructed us —"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Garcia roared, and everyone turned in his general direction. "I am Colonel Gerard Garcia, commanding officer of the 788th Space Division, Artemis Base, and I thank you for your cooperation as we perform routine security checks on your ship. I hereby declare the conclusion of the quarantine; it is my pleasure to announce that everyone here is free again to move about the ship's premises."

A muffled cheer rippled through the dining hall at the news, but as people began to vacate their seats Garcia raised his arms. "Before you leave, however, I've one simple request to make. I would like all hangar crew to remain behind. My men have a few questions for you."

Arnold Neumann saunterd up to Garcia. "What business do you have with our hangar crew?" he said brusquely.

The colonel's eyebrow twitched. "Is this how you were taught to address your superiors?"

"No," Neumann said steadily. "We were taught to treat our superiors and seniors with due respect. But the last time I checked, we both work for two completely different organisations. So why should your rules apply to mine?"

Temper soaring past its limit, Garcia grabbed Neumann's collar. "We both are soldiers of the Earth Alliance!" he spat. "We are fellow comrades! Brothers-in-arms!"

"Then that does not make you my superior, does it? The way you put it, we're equals now."

"Soldier!" Garcia boomed. "Do you not recognise my rank?"

"I ask again," Neumann continued relentlessly. "What do you want with our hangar crew?"

Garcia's sergeant major stepped up forth, hand on his shoulder: _your men are watching. _With tremendous effort Garcia released Neumann and shoved him away. "During one of our routine inspections we came across three machines which we believe are mobile suits. Weapons of war. It is standard protocol that we examine unidentified machines and determine if they pose any threat to our base —"

At this point, Ritsuko raised her hand. "In that case," she said, "then the person you need is me. Prior to the _Archangel_'s docking at your port I locked the Strike and EVAs down. For security reasons, of course. You of all people here should understand. If you wish to, I'll remove the access barricades."

"Thank _you_ very much," Garcia said. "At the same time, however, we need the operators for the three machines to be present. Pilots for the mobile suits, please come forth now."

Kira rose. "I am the pilot for the Strike," he announced.

Garcia's lips twisted as he stomped up to Kira. "Boy, you say you're the pilot for one of the mobile suits?" he said.

"Ye-yeah, that's right."

Without warning, Garcia reached out and grabs Miriallia's collar. As she cried out in pain he said loudly, "Don't screw with me! You, a mobile suit operator? Your ship has a mercenary for a captain, goddamn refugees freeloading off your resources, and a kiddy mobile suit operator! So I say, why can't this little dumb girl here be your pilot for the Eves, or whatever those things are called?"

"Put her down!" Tolle roared, shoving from his seat, but one of Garcia's men pounced and brought him down to the ground in one swift tackle. Kira lunged, and crashed into Garcia.

Immediately ten rifles were charged and trained on Kira simultaneously, and he had no choice but to back off, hands in the air. Garcia picked himself up, a disgruntled look on his face as he dusted himself down. "Give me," he said, "one reason why I should believe whatever the hell you're saying."

"I'm a Coordinator," Kira said quietly. "That reason enough for you?"

Garcia froze. Then the expression on his face grew livid, as what Kira had said finally registered. "Damn it, someone restrain this scum now," he yelled.

From a corner of the dining hall Shinji heard the scraping of benches against the metal ground, and then his father's voice, deathly quiet:

"No, you don't."

"Another joker!" Garcia bellowed. Plunging a hand beneath his uniform, he pulled out a handgun, cocking and jabbing it in Gendo's direction. "One more word from any one of you, and I'll fire. God knows where this round will land."

"You will?" Gendo's face remained impassive. "In front of an entire congregation of witnesses?"

"Witness all you want, but let me tell you, whatever that conspires inside this damn room will never see the light of day!"

"Since you say so, shoot me, then," Gendo said calmly. "Just let it be known that the final password to Professor Akagi's firewalls is in here." He tapped a finger to his temple.

Garcia gnashed his teeth, his furious eyes locked on Gendo unblinkingly for a long moment before he finally lowered his weapon. "Men!" he calls out. "Bring the whole lot down to the hangar. Nobody ... touches them."

* * *

**Artemis**

The 'specially prepared rooms' in question was in fact a converted bunk that looked like it had not been occupied for a very long time. As Misato plopped down on one of the plastic chairs there a cloud of dust billowed out, sending her in a coughing fit.

"This is ridiculous," Natarle grumbled. "Sure, the _Archangel_ is unregistered, but that does not give them the right to treat us like this!"

"No, it doesn't," Misato said. "But I think you got their intentions wrong, Natarle."

Natarle's eyes flickered towards Misato. "What do you mean?" she said sharply.

"It should be pretty obvious by now," Misato said heavily, as Murrue and Mu leant in to listen. "Eurasia wants the _Archangel_. Simple as that. We wouldn't be here if Artemis thought we were outright hostiles. And certainly we'd be on our way back to Earth now with our water tanks full if Artemis didn't have a single ill intention."

Murrue kneaded her temples. "There's no other way out of this, then," she said. "We got to break out of here."

"Hang on!" Natarle sprang from her seat. "Do you mean to say that we're going to attack Artemis? Our allies?"

"Allies, eh?" Misato said with a raised eyebrow. "Apparently your so-called alliance wasn't on that colonel's mind when he brought us in. Let's face it, he wants our technology, and I'm fairly confident that right now he is over at the _Archangel_ now, trying his utmost best to plunder the Strike and EVAs."

Mu, who had yet to say anything all this while, parted his lips. "You know," he said, "we really shouldn't be worrying ourselves with the _how_. With regards to our escape plans, that is."

Murrue's jaw tightened. "You think Le Creuset might break through."

"Not _might_," Mu said. "But _will_. I got quite an eye-opener during our tour down here; the soldiers are ill-disciplined and pathetic, and no almighty Umbrella is going to save their hides when that damn carrier outside invades their base." He paused. "Captain, you still got your Blackberry with you?"

"Yeah, it's here." Misato shook her head in exasperation. "Those idiots didn't even bother to run me through a metal detector when they brought us down here. What about it?"

"Is there still reception around here?"

Misato consulted her phone. "Yes, but it's rather weak."

"No matter, it's enough." Mu's voice dropped, and he beckoned everyone to close in. "Here's what I have in mind …"

* * *

_**Archangel**_

After a tour round the _Archangel_'s hangar Garcia and his men were directed straight to the control room, where the combat and operation logs of both the Strike and EVA Unit-01 were already prepped for the inspection.

Along the way, Garcia accosted Gendo, saying silkily, "You people from NERV … are the ones who built the Evangelions, am I right?"

"That is correct," Gendo said slowly.

Hands behind him, calculating smile on his face, Garcia continued, "If that's the case, I suppose I'm apt to assume that those two machines are not all that NERV is capable of … right?"

"What are you trying to imply?" feigned Gendo.

An impatient look flashed across Garcia's face before he said, "The message I'm trying to get across, is that, perhaps, you could replicate, even mass-produce, the EVAs, or even develop an appropriate counter to the EVAs themselves?"

"I see," Gendo said serenely. "You want the EVAs."

"Certainly that's not my intention, not at all!" Garcia said heartily. "What I need, what the Eurasian Federation needs, is talent. Let me be frank, our crusade against the PLANTs is turning against our favour, and we need every resource we can secure to ensure victory, once and for all. Cooperate with us, and we can promise NERV both near-unlimited funding and recognition."

"To tell you the truth, your offer does sound tempting," Gendo said. "But here's a disclaimer: Coordinators make up at least forty percent of NERV's human resources. If we were to forge an alliance with Eurasia, how would your so-called "crusade against the PLANTs" resonate with our staff, I wonder?"

"I'm a Coordinator," Ritsuko chirped cheerily from behind, causing Garcia to jump. "And for your information, our captain's a Coordinator, too. Her name's Katsuragi Misato, sound familiar?"

Garcia bristled. "You mean to say —"

"That's right. You just let a Coordinator into your base. Who knows what havoc she'd wreck in there?"

"While you may set your sights on NERV and our expertise," Gendo cut in, "please do take time to review the EVAs' operation logs before you make any conclusions."

"What do you mean?" Garcia snapped, as he tried to put as much distance between him and Ritsuko as possible.

"You'll see."

"In here," Ritsuko said, opening the door to the control room for Garcia. Wasting no time, she pulled a video file from the log folders and immediately began playing it once everyone was inside. And as Garcia watched the recording, his face grew whiter and whiter, until finally he snapped and pulled out his weapon, aiming the barrel shakily in Gendo's general direction.

"Who are you guys?" Garcia burst out. "What are you guys?!"

"Didn't you already ask that question?" Gendo said. "We're NERV, an Orb-based paramilitary organisation that develops munitions to combat biological entities we term 'Angels'. I'm sure Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi has said so beforehand, when you took her in for questioning."

"That … thing, that EVA, is not a mobile suit," Garcia spat, pressing the butt of his weapon against Gendo's chest. "It's a monster, damn it, and I hereby relieve it from your possession —"

"Your greed knows no bounds, Colonel Gerard Garcia. Now that you've found a weapon of mass destruction more effective than nuclear missiles, you would attempt to acquire it no matter the consequences?"

"Consequences? What consequences?" Garcia said, demented. "I am merely upholding justice! Today, my men and I will take into custody the true murderers of Heliopolis! Not ZAFT, not the Earth Alliance, but you!"

"You dare label us along the likes of OMNI?" Gendo said. "Perpetrators of Bloody Valentine?"

Garcia's finger inched ever closer to the trigger. "Say it one more time, and I assure you —"

The colonel did not get to finish his sentence, for it was then that pandemonium broke out all over Artemis.

* * *

**Artemis**

An muffled explosion resounded in the background. Mu leapt from his chair.

"Damn it, he's here!"

Misato sprinted over to the door of the bunk, which was locked from the outside, and began pounding on it. "Help!" she screamed shrilly. "There's a crack here! Our air is leaking out! HELP!" As planned, the next thirty seconds then saw the occupants of the converted bunk wrecking havoc to their hearts' delight. Even Natarle, who was usually composed, soon took to kicking the furniture, even hurling it.

"We're gonna die!" Mu roared. "HELP!"

"I'm suffocating! HELP!"

"There's an earthquake! HELP!"

And, the gods help the duo standing guard outside, the door actually swung open. Immediately, Misato and Mu attacked, rendering them unconscious in a jiffy before rolling their limp bodies towards the far war of the unkempt bunk. And thus began the officers' exodus out of the imperilled space outpost.

* * *

_**Archangel**_

Across the _Archangel_, sirens bawled even as tremors rocked the ship. "What the hell's happening?!" Garcia spluttered.

At this point, the ship-wide PA opened up. _"This is an urgent message to _Archangel_: all units are needed for scramble. Enemy mobile suit detected within range."_

Ritsuko put down her Blackberry. "Commander," she said. "Katsuragi just called. It is as they predicted earlier: Artemis' lightwave defence barrier is down."

"Are she and the rest back here yet?" Gendo shot back.

"In five. They were taken pretty deep into the base."

"I understand. In the meantime, prepare the Strike and EVA-01 for launch." Gendo reached forward, and opened a comms channel. "Shinji."

A window opened, showing Shinji in full EVA dive gear and with an utterly shocked look on his face, the wide-eyed expression aggregated by the dark LCL. "Ye-yes?"

"Shinji, I need you to launch again. It will be the same as the previous time; all I need you to do is to use your AT Field to protect the _Archangel_. Can you do it?"

"I-I can," Shinji stuttered in reply.

"I'm counting on you." Saying that, Gendo exited the channel. He then rounded on Garcia, who was standing frozen by the computer terminals. "Your base is being invaded. What are you standing here for?"

"Damn you," Garcia breathed, pointing a trembling accusatory finger at Gendo. "This is all a trick, isn't it? I admit, it's clever, but I'm not fooled! Hand over all your mobile suits and the _Archangel_ this instant!"

The ship trembled, as another explosion rocked the base. "Do those explosions sound like a trick to you?" Gendo said.

"The Umbrella of Artemis is impregnable! Nothing can pierce through it! And now, you're telling me that _one_ mobile suit made it through —"

To Garcia's men Gendo said dismissively, "Your commander is deluded. If you want to protect your base and comrades, get him out of here and let us leave Artemis; we're the ones ZAFT wants."

* * *

EVA-01 leapt out of the _Archangel_'s linear catapult, only to end up in a crimson world.

All around Shinji, Artemis was ablaze. From afar, he could just make out three dots of light, whizzing here, there, _everywhere_, spreading death and destruction wherever they went. The Duel, Buster, and Blitz. After the rout from the last battle, the Aegis was nowhere to be seen.

Hands tightening around the control sticks, Shinji cranked his head to catch a glimpse of the _Archangel_, now inching laboriously towards the northern auxiliary shaft — the only means of exit left. _Hurry, hurry. _

Shinji jumped in his seat as sirens began shrieking with abandon. The Blitz had commenced an attack, having launched all four of its anti-ship titanium polymer rods in a single trajectory towards the _Archangel_'s engines.

"No, you don't!"

Yelling, Shinji dived down. As his AT Field sprang to life once more, this time shining brighter than ever, the Blitz's missiles crumpled in mid-air, twisting and writhing into scrap metal and meeting a fiery end as they tumbled down into the burning abyss below.

And then there was an explosion, a fireball blossoming at Shinji's port-side; he whirled around, and he saw … he saw …

EVA-01's AT Field wavered, as the macabre image flashed again and again relentlessly in its pilot's mind. Of people burnt alive by the inferno, people torn apart by flying rubble, people flung out to the deep void of space by the vacuum.

"Mi-Misato …"

_No, no. _Shinji clamped down on his tongue. The _Archangel_ was not out of danger just yet. He could not — _could not _—pull out now. Not yet. _Let me out of here._

To his left, the Strike was exchanging furious blows with the Duel, the flashes of their swords dull against the monstrous pyres rampaging in the background. Towards the end, however, Kira stumbled, and lost his weapon. Seizing the chance, the Duel lunged, stabbing its sword at point-blank range towards the Strike's cockpit —

"_YEEARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!"_

Flashing in from starboard-side, Shinji collided into the Duel head-on, sending it slamming against the massive steel walls of the port shaft. He steadied itself, then pounced again, and this time —

—_I'm counting on you. _Gendo's deep voice rang out loud in Shinji's head.

An invisible force clamped down on the stricken Duel's neck, with barely a second passing before its armour gave way completely. Kira watched, stunned, as the Duel's head toppled off its severed neck. At that point in time, he realised, nothing had touched the mobile suit. No physical contact whatsoever had been made with the neck joint of the Duel, absolutely none. Not with ammunition, beams, or either of the Strike and EVA-01's bare hands.

A blinking of an eye later, EVA-01 itself crashed into the Duel, the sheer force of the impact ploughing small craters into the tough steel wall. The EVA then lifted a hand, and slammed a punch into the Duel's shoulder, after which it abruptly paused its assault.

"_Shinji! SHINJI!"_

For it was Misato, frantically calling out to Shinji over the radio. EVA-01's head swung, its beady eyes glaring in the direction of the retreating _Archangel_.

"Misato, I'm alright!" Shinji called out as he directed the EVA to release the Duel. EVA-01 grabbed the mobile suit's wrist in a vice-like grip, then flung it far away. The Duel spiralled away into the distance, to where the _Archangel_ was no longer in the range of its weaponry. "I'm alright."

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-10: Before the Battle


	10. Before the Battle

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-10: Before the Battle

**28 January, CE 71**

Half an hour before the meeting was scheduled to start, Ritsuko was summoned to the conference room, where Misato was waiting together with Natarle.

"OK, I got to ask," Ritsuko piped up as she took a seat beside Misato. "Since when are the two of you on such good terms?"

"We're not," Natarle said irritably.

"And it's not like we've a choice." Misato shrugged. "I'm the captain, and she's vice-captain. Anyway, that's not the point. Ritsuko, I need you to see this."

"Ah," Ritsuko said, as Misato began playing a video log of EVA Unit-01's last battle with the Duel. "I think I might know what you want to ask."

"Of course you do," Misato said, pausing the video. "So tell me, what happened?"

"If you see here," Ritsuko said, aiming a laser pointer at the screen, "EVA-01 rendered considerable damage onto the Duel G weapon without even touching it. There can only be one answer for such a phenomenon." And then she paused, as the realisation of what she was about to say hit her.

"And that answer is?" Misato looked expectantly at Ritsuko.

"It was the AT Field," Ritsuko said simply. "In that battle, EVA-01's AT Field was used not as a shield, but as a _weapon_. Somehow, Shinji managed to project his EVA's AT Field in ways that we have yet to foresee."

Misato nodded. "And does this improve your opinion of Shinji somewhat?"

"Don't get me wrong," Ritsuko said. "Like you, I see potential in the boy. But the way things are now, he's still too unreliable a pilot for my liking. I'm sure Vice-Captain Badgiruel here shares my sentiments."

"She's right, Katsuragi," Natarle said. "If I may, do let me remind you that EVA-01's AT Field failed at a very crucial moment during the previous battle with the Aegis. Ikari barely escaped by the skin of his teeth."

"And that doesn't help in negating the necessity of reactivating EVA-00 whatsoever," Misato said in a resigned voice. "Fine, I get your drift."

"There's no need to look so worried, you know," Ritsuko said with a small smile. "I'll be there when they power up EVA-00. Everything will be fine."

"And that doesn't comfort me the least bit," Misato said darkly. "If I remember correctly, you were also _there_ when they popped Rei into EVA-00 and caused it to go rabid. Everything was certainly _not_ fine that day."

"Oh, screw you, Misato," Ritsuko said casually.

Natarle stood up. "If there's nothing more for me," she said stiffly, "I'll take my leave."

"There's only ten minutes left till the meeting," Ritsuko said. "You sure you don't want to stay in here?"

"No, I'm fine." Natarle turned and stalked towards the door. "Rest assured I won't be late for the meeting."

After Natarle had gone out of earshot, Ritsuko turned to Misato. "Tough nut to crack, isn't she?" she remarked.

"Well, she _is_ tough," Misato murmured. "She isn't the youngest lieutenant in the Atlantic Fed Navy for nothing. Anyway, there's something that I need to consult you about, Ritsuko."

"Something that you'd rather our young lieutenant didn't hear?"

"Of course." Misato turned to her laptop. "Take a look at this."

"You want to know why EVA-01's AT Field failed?" Ritsuko said as a video of Shinji's battle with the Aegis played out on the plasma screen.

"That and one more thing. But we'll go on to that later."

"You do know, Misato, that an AT Field is a physical manifestation of a person's ego," Ritsuko began. "The outpouring of our entire psychological makeup, magnified thousandfold by the EVA. As it implies, willpower is one of the many aspects of the pilot's psyche that levies a significant impact on whether the AT Field will even materialise or not. Let me show you this, and you'll see what I mean."

Ritsuko took over the laptop and subsequently accessed the _Archangel_'s servers. "I have here the audio log from the same battle," she said briskly, then pressed Play.

"_ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" _Misato winced, as Shinji's shrill cry blared from the speakers.

"_Shinji! SHINJI! That's enough!" _Then it was Misato, who had been yelling herself hoarse over the radio in an effort to appease Shinji's brazen fury. _"The enemy's not attacking anymore! Shinji!"_

And then, an unfamiliar voice —

"_Yzak, get away! This is the monster that destroyed Heliopolis!"_

Ritsuko reached over and stopped the playback. "Now do you get it?" she asked.

"Yeah," Misato said quietly. "At that point in time … Shinji came back to his senses. Ritsuko, till now he's still blaming himself for Heliopolis' demise. I … is there anything we can do?"

"I don't think so," Ritsuko answered. "From everything you've told me so far … external stimulus isn't the sort of thing that would help the boy get back on track."

"I don't need Shinji to get back on track," Misato said. "I just want him to … be less sad. Guilt is an extremely destructive emotion, Ritsuko. Back when I was still in the navy, working together with the marines, I saw many veterans lose themselves, wallowing in self-inflicted guilt, just barely floating until one day their strength leaves them and they let themselves drown."

Ritsuko became silent. "You ever heard of the term 'hedgehog's dilemma', Misato?" she asked abruptly after a long moment.

Misato shrugged. "You tell me," she said. "You're the one with the psychology minor."

"Not all hedgehogs hibernate during winter," Ritsuko began. "When it gets cold, individual hedgehogs gather and try to get close in order to share body heat. And yet they could not bear to make physical contact, for by doing so they will hurt each other with their sharp spines."

"I think I get what you mean, but isn't it the same for everyone?" Misato asked. "Anyway, I'm sure hedgehogs are evolved enough to be able to look for alternatives to body heat."

"It's just an analogy," Ritsuko said, "explaining how inevitable conflict is when humans interact with each other. For some people, the potential mutual hurt involved in forming bonds with others far outweighs the benefits. This can happen when there is severe trauma experienced in one's earlier stages of life. Shinji, in my opinion, could be one example."

"That much I could tell," Misato murmured. "His antics and words are certainly not what I would call befitting a fifteen-year-old. But Ritsuko, you know what happened to him?"

"No, and I think I won't be putting any effort into finding that out, at least in the near future," Ritsuko said. "But the burden that he shouldered before you met him, Misato, is probably greater than what he was expected to endure for his age. He doesn't want to go through such pain again, and thus he shuts people out of his life. Which is why I said there's nothing much we can do to help Shinji. There is only one key to his heart, and he alone has it."

"Shinji has to learn," Misato said, "that getting hurt is how we humans grow. It is the only way, from what I've seen and went through so far."

"And that is your job, Misato. If Shinji won't learn, you've to teach him."

Misato checked her watch. "There's still a few minutes left," she said. "Ritsuko, I've one more question. Prior to docking at Artemis, was there any sign of EVA-01 going berserk?"

Ritsuko frowned. "You've seen firsthand how EVA-01 tore Heliopolis apart single-handedly," she said. "Surely you can tell if it has gone amok?"

"What about …" Misato thought for a while. "The pilot?"

"Shinji?" Ritsuko's brow furrowed deeper. "What are you talking about? How can the _pilot _go berserk?"

"I don't know. You're the scientist, not me. Are there any weird signs, or —"

"Apart from a sharp increase in pulse rate during the battle," Ritsuko interrupted, "I see no other anomaly. And do let me add that escalated vital signs during combat are pretty normal."

"I know that," Misato said irritably. "Never mind, I've one last question. Hmmm …" Her cheeks ballooned as she struggled for the correct words.

"And your question is ..?"

"Will …" Misato paused. "Will prolonged operational use of EVA have any profound effect on the pilot?"

"None that I could think of, apart from maybe post-traumatic stress disorder and, in extremely rare cases, allergic reactions."

"Is that all?"

"I suppose so." Ritsuko wringed her wrists, and they cracked loudly, causing Misato to wince. "You have to know, Misato, that we don't have all the facts we need about the EVAs yet. Most of the time, I confess, we are tapping around like the three blind mice."

Misato sighed. "Three blind mice in the middle of a minefield."

"Tch." Ritsuko took out a cigarette, then promptly broke it in half. "Damn it, Misato. How long more till we reach Earth?"

* * *

The _Archangel_ was in dire straits. To put it simply, she was running dry, literally. The disastrous stint at Artemis had done nothing to restore the ship's coffers, and even with the recycling systems running at full capacity the threat of a full-scale drought had never seemed so real before.

"OK, let's be frank here," Misato launched into her brief immediately after all the crew members she had convened for this urgent meeting were present. "The _Archangel_'s dying, and if we don't do something about it now it will be our turn very soon."

Aoba Shigeru rose from his seat. "Projected on the screen are several possible trajectories we can take. However, there are problems with all the planned routes. Let me explain. To reach Earth in the shortest time possible we would have to enter the debris belt. With our current speed, though, it would be nothing short of suicidal.

"The safest route would be to go either above or under the debris belt. While we have enough fuel for the journey, we would probably thirst to death halfway across the belt." Aoba shifted his glasses before he continued, "Going through the debris belt would be our best bet, especially since we could make use of the debris to hide our presence from Le Creuset's fleet. But the _Archangel_ would have to lower her speed, and what's left of our supplies will not be enough to last us through the extended journeying."

The debris belt, a gigantic ring of garbage encircling Earth quite like the cesspools of the Pacific. While space debris had begun to accumulate ever since mankind ventured forth to infinite depths of the Universe, the debris belt itself had only started to take shape when outer space became the next cradle of humanity's armed conflicts, accentuated by the unravelling of the Bloody Valentine tragedy early last year.

"The debris belt," Mu spoke up. "We could make use of it."

"What do you mean?" Murrue turned and asked.

Mu grinned. "I'm a man who makes the impossible possible, right?"

Murrue rolled her eyes. "Just skip the corny catchphrases," she said, "and tell us what the hell you have in mind."

"We could scavenge for supplies at the debris belt," Mu said to Misato. "Water, ammunition, everything else that we need."

Misato pondered upon Mu's proposal for a while. "It might be a viable plan," she said in the end. "We have both manned and unmanned pods on board. They were meant for emergency external repairs, but we can tweak them a little for salvage operations."

Mu chuckled. "Not salvage, Captain," he said. _"Scavenge. _We're now scavengers, plundering the graves of the fallen in order to feed ourselves."

"I don't like this either," Misato said, as several others fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats. "But it's certainly a better alternative to cannibalism. Anyway, I do have a few concerns regarding water, if we do find any, that is. Will the ship's purification system be enough to make it potable?"

Ibuki Maya nodded. "The space vacuum would have sterilised any water stocks we procure," she said. "All we need to do is flush out any traces of heavy metals we find. The _Archangel_'s filters are more than capable."

Misato studied the space chart on the screen intently. "It would be at least one full day before we hit the debris belt. Will it be enough to retrofit our maintenance craft, Kojiro?"

"Rest easy there, Captain!" boomed Kojiro Murdoch, a burly man with the thickest eyebrows Misato had ever seen hailing as chief from the technical team. "Twelve hours is all we need!"

Misato smiled. "That's good to hear." To everyone present she said, "We will begin operations two hours after the _Archangel_ enters the debris belt. I will have a proper shipwide work-rest cycle ready by then. All crew will be involved, whether you like it or not. I, too, will be working, so no slackers!"

* * *

After the meeting, Ritsuko headed straight for Gendo's room, located just a corridor away from the _Archangel_'s bridge. There, she saw Gendo behind his desk, eyes over a tablet filled with tiny print.

Helping herself to the lone chair in front of Gendo's desk, Ritsuko began without preamble, "EVA-01 has begun exerting influence over its pilot."

"Is that so?" Gendo said, eyes never leaving the tablet. "It is hardly surprising, though. EVA-01, after all, was constructed with methods and intentions vastly different from the other Evangelions."

"It is just as the records had described," Ritsuko murmured. "Lilith's touch is indeed like the plague."

"Which makes the Dummy System all the more essential in the upcoming war against the Angels," Gendo said. "While the human psyche is weak and unpredictable, electronic code lies on the other end of the spectrum: inflexible, insurmountable and subservient to the very end."

"Slowly, Shinji is realising his potential," Ritsuko said. "Through the recent battles, he has gained abilities beyond our expectations."

"And that was because our enemy previously was man, not Angel," Gendo said. "Deep down, in Shinji's subconscious, he knows that he has nothing to fear from pitiful human soldiers. EVA-01, which feeds on its pilot's state of mind, thus gains exceptional powers."

Saying that, Gendo put down the tablet. He then bent down, fishing out a bottle of pills from the bottom drawer of his desk. As he swallowed down three pills whole, Ritsuko said, "The new batch is ready; I'll have Fuyutsuki pass it to you later this evening."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work."

Ritsuko sighed. "It goes without saying that those pills won't be able to sustain you for long. Now might not be a good time to do so, but shouldn't you consider restarting the BCPU program?"

"When Rei was conceived I had originally hoped to gain new insight into my condition," Gendo said. "And indeed, I made reasonable progress. But Professor Akagi, you know it as well as I do, that Instrumentality is already foreseeable in the near future. The necessity of the program will have ceased by then."

"You're right," Ritsuko said with a small smile. "With Instrumentality, humanity shall finally regain true perfection. Since you wish so, I will respect your decision. Just one more thing …"

Ritsuko rose, and slipped off her lab coat. She sashayed over to Gendo, propping a knee on the edge of his chair. Her fingers hovered over the control panel on one corner of the desk; immediately the lights flickered off.

"Clad in darkness … the only thing that is visible to our senses now is our voices," Ritsuko murmured, a new alluring layer to her voice. "Just by the word 'Akagi' alone, how will you know if the person who responds is the woman you seek?"

"Ritsuko," Gendo said. "Akagi … Ritsuko."

Ritsuko reached out and cupped Gendo's face. "I was wrong, it seems," she said softly. "Even in the void, our touch remains." And then she quivered, as she felt pressure against her posterior.

"You never really had much love for the Coordinators, don't you?" Gendo said huskily against the nape of Ritsuko's neck. "Even if you are one yourself."

"Coordinators are only mere humans, after all." Ritsuko's fingers danced down the zipper of her blouse, and with a coy shrug of her shoulders it fell off. "Insignificant ants before Lilith's glory. For all of our extolled superiorities we actually have difficulty breeding."

"And yet Patrick Zala opts to continue his crusade against the Earth Alliance."

"And vice-versa." Ritsuko landed both her feet back on the ground, letting her skirt glide down her calves. She felt Gendo's rough fingers curl around her thighs, and she played along, hitching her legs up and letting herself be hauled up against Gendo's waist. "But let us not concern ourselves with petty human conflicts for now."

They crossed the room, entangled, all the way to Gendo's bed. There, they fell together, in one lithe tumble; the opening to their improvised carnal choreography.

Ritsuko's lips parted, and a moan escaped, in alluring notes befitting a siren. Then she unfurled, surrendering her nubile body to a turbulence of fiery pleasure, voracious liberation, and soaring triumph.

* * *

**30 January, CE 71**

That morning, Shinji began his first ever EVA combat training on board the _Archangel_. Configurations to the EVA simulation machine were only finalised the night before, and Ritsuko was eager to test them out before heading back to her room to crash after pulling two consecutive all-nighters.

"For every Angel," Ritsuko began her brief as Shinji changed into his Plug Suit, "there is a central structure we call the _core_. It is not necessarily located in the centre, but the fact is that every Angel possesses one such organ. As you might have guessed by now, the core is an Angel's weak point."

Shinji slapped his wrist, and his suit hissed into shape. "That means," he said, "if we destroy the core —"

"Then the Angel goes with it," Ritsuko said. "In theory it sounds simple, but let it be known that reality is way harsher. Now that you've suited up, Shinji, you may proceed to the Entry Plug; we'll begin the simulation shortly."

Right smack in the middle of a three-storey high chamber, secured against towering scaffolding amidst a vast spiderweb network of heavyset cables and conduits, was a special Entry Plug adapted for use with a modified version of the EVA INSPIRE operating system. As Shinji began his dive what unfolded before him was a three-dimensional schematic of Heliopolis' Tannenbaum business district, its skyscrapers and buildings mere grey cuboids in this crude virtual representation.

"_Beginning simulation in three, two, one —"_

Shinji gave a slight hiccough as the Angel materialised before him. There was a short reprieve, as Ritsuko's technicians primed the attack program, which lasted for a few seconds before the Angel began lumbering towards him.

"_Now's a chance for you to familiarise yourself with the EVA's targeting and weapons system," _Ritsuko spoke over the radio. _"We'll start with a ZAFT standard issue MMI-M8A3 assault rifle, and once you've mastered its handling we'll move on to beam rifles next."_

"Yes," Shinji replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"_For any Angel, you'll need to neutralise its AT Field with your own first before you can do any damage. In any scenario, always project your AT Field first before stepping out into the killzone. Any questions, Shinji?"_

"No."

"_For this Angel, you will see that its core is fully visible. It is the large red orb-like organ in the centre," _Ritsuko continued._ "Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger. Now try it."_

"Yes," Shinji replied mechanically.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target. _Shinji did just that, manipulating the control yokes until the dot sight hovered in front of the Angel's core, which quivered in tandem with his trembling hands.

_Then pull the trigger. _Shinji's index finger twitched, activating the assault rifle the pseudo-EVA-01 cradled in its hands. The weapon flared, emptying its entire magazine on its target before the Angel spiralled down to the ground and disintegrated in a spherical CG fireball.

"_Excellent," _Ritsuko said. _"But your aim was slightly off. That deals significantly less than optimum damage to the target. Try again." _With a tap of a few keys Ritsuko resurrected the Angel simulation and restarted its death march towards EVA-01.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger. _Shinji repeated the exact same sequence of actions from his previous attempt. _But your aim was slightly off. _His trigger arm shifted ever so slightly.

"_All right, I think you got the hang of it," _Ritsuko said. _"As you've seen, the EVA ranged weapons system is pretty nifty and easy to use. Judging by your progress, it is highly possible that we can move on to beam weaponry by the end of the week. In fact, if you wish, we can expand your syllabus to heavy weapons, which include rocket launchers, anti-ship missiles, and N__2 __weapons."_

"Yes."

Maya, Ritsuko's assistant for Shinji's training programme, whirled around. "Are you serious, Professor?" she said with a wide-eyed expression. "N2 weapons?"

Ritsuko frowned. "You do know," she said after flipping the radio connection shut, "that I was just trying to pique his interest, right?"

"Well …"

"Never mind," Ritsuko said, sighing. "What are Shinji's synchronisation results?"

"They've improved a lot since he first piloted EVA," Maya reported. "Normal movement should be a piece of cake now. The thing is, as compared to the recent sorties, the current sync ratio is definitely sub-par."

"Of course they are. Shinji would rather face ZAFT's ace pilots than an Angel." Ritsuko kneaded her forehead. "He has unconsciously recognised EVA-01's superiority over the pitiful mobile suits the Naturals have churned out so desperately. Now that's … twisted."

"Shall we continue with the exercise?"

"Oh yes, let's. We've only been here for half an hour." Ritsuko restarted the radio connection. _"Shinji, let's continue. This time, we're now moving on to faster targets."_

"Yes."

The program restarted itself, and the moment the Angel rematerialized it lunged at Shinji.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger._

Shinji tensed. The virtual Angel was fast, but it was nothing like its counterpart in reality.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger._

In a blinking of an eye, Shinji landed a hail of simulated rounds on his target, dispatching it.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger._

If only … if only he had performed half as well then as now, in the simulation booth …

— nobody would have to die.

_Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger._

"Shinji's improving greatly," Maya said. "A few more sessions like this, and he will be at Rei's level."

"Hmmm." Ritsuko took out a cigarette, but did not light it.

"Something bothering you, Professor?"

Ritsuko put the cigarette through her lips. "I know that kid has no choice but to pilot EVA," she murmured, "but still, he really does get by doing whatever people tell him to, does he?"

* * *

At approximately one in the afternoon shipboard time, the _Archangel_ entered the debris belt.

As Mu had predicted, the debris belt was a treasure trove waiting to be exploited. The _Archangel_'s scanners began going haywire as the ship ventured deeper and deeper into the space graveyard, picking up lodes of frozen water half the _Archangel_'s size, entire batches of unexploded ammunition, and even fresh food, in cargo containers drifting aimlessly through the void of space.

The debris belt, a sprawling graveyard suspended in eternal limbo in outer space. The carcasses of once-glorious battleships resided here, as with the mangled corpses of men and women who had bravely fought for their nations, and had only a fiery end to reap for their efforts. The entire place stank of death, hatred, and regret, but the crew had long since steeled their hearts. But never in their wildest expectations had they expected to see _it_.

Two hours into the debris belt, as the first team of 'sappers' — Misato had vehemently refused to use the word _scavengers _— prepared to launch, the _Archangel_'s proximity sensors went into overdrive. It was a space object, one so large that the ship was but a mere dot against it. And as the object itself came into view everyone's eyes hardened with recognition and dread.

Misato was the one who broke the deathly silence aboard the bridge.

"Junius Seven," she said, in a flat voice.

On the fourteenth of February, CE 70, Valentine's Day, the Earth Alliance coalition forces launched an attack on the PLANTs, the Coordinators' homeland in outer space, by deploying a total of 344 nuclear weapons just three days after war was declared. ZAFT's Infinite Dome missile interception system, together with its mobile suit squadrons, managed to destroy all but one of the warheads, which detonated when it hit one of the PLANTs of the Junius cluster: Junius Seven. A total of 243,721 civilians perished that day, and the resulting nuclear fallout led to a further 54,011 deaths in the months following the tragedy.

"Or what was left of it," Natarle said quietly, to no one in particular. "The Bloody Valentine attack was so thorough, that all was left was the baseplate. Even after Second Impact, mankind still has not learnt to co-exist with one another. Is total annihilation the only true road to peace?"

Misato shot a look at Natarle. Never had she seen such a display of melancholy from the young lieutenant. _She's way too young to be harbouring such dark thoughts, _Misato thought forlornly. _The trauma from the war is more far-reaching that she'd probably expected._

"Alright, now!" Misato called out. "We don't have much time to waste. Maya, Shigeru, Makoto, the sappers are still waiting for you to give the all green!"

"You sure about this?" Natarle whispered. "Shouldn't you reconsider even staying here at all?"

Misato looked at Natarle, an unfathomable expression on her face. Then, with a smile, she said, "Thank you."

Natarle frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I get what you're trying to tell me, but the thing is, we're in the richest sector of the debris belt for miles," Misato continued. "Beneath the baseplate is the single largest reservoir of water Ritsuko's scanners can detect. We have secured enough food stocks to last us all the way to Orb and beyond, and the amount of ammo we found can fill our pods three times over. If we resupply here, we need not make any more stops."

"Are you really OK with it? Do allow me to reiterate that we're about to plunder the graves of your fellow Coordinators."

"We're alive, not Junius Seven," Misato said simply. "And because we're still alive, we must continue to live."

* * *

**3 February, CE 71**

After training, Shinji headed straight to the dining hall for lunch. As he made his way to the servery he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hey! Shinji!" It was Sai, in his sapper jumpsuit, beckoning for Shinji to join him. "Over here!"

After collecting his food Shinji crossed over to Sai's table. "Good afternoon, Sai," he said.

Sai sighed. "Afternoon," he said warmly. "How was training?"

"Fine, I suppose," Shinji said, poking at his food. Now that there was a steady supply of fresh food, the messing team had finally stopped dishing out dehydrated rations. For the first time in more than a week, Shinji found himself sitting down on the toilet. After nearly half a week of being dunked repeatedly in LCL, however, Shinji found that he had long lost his appetite. "They are teaching me how to use a beam rifle; I can use the Strike's equipment now if I launch."

"Is that so? Cool!" Sai said enthusiastically. Momentarily, Shinji felt a flash of anger when he saw the vivid interest on Sai's eyes.

Eager for a change in topic, Shinji turned to something else that had been bothering him from the corner of his peripheral vision. "Erm …" he began, "is Flay alright?" For she had been sniffling by Sai's side even before Shinji had joined them, her eyes bloodshot and teary.

Sai sighed. "She insists she is," he said exasperatedly, "but I'm inclined to say otherwise."

"N-no," Flay said, her voice all blubbery. "I'm OK."

Sai sighed again. "Flay's been helping out with the sapper teams ever since we got here," he leant in and whispered. "She was doing fine in the first few shifts, but that was before she saw the corpses."

"Corpses?"

In a place like the debris belt, it is inevitable that the sappers would find a body here and there. Headless and limbless corpses, bodies mutilated by shrapnel and ammunition. The ruins of Junius Seven, however, was a different hell altogether.

"There was a point where we had to get off our pods," Sai said, his voice quivering ever so slightly. "We had to navigate this particular stretch that was wide enough for only one person at a time. Flay went in first, and when she entered a room I heard her scream."

"What did you find?" Shinji asked apprehensively.

"The room we found was part of a defence shelter," Sai explained, "likes the lifeboats in Heliopolis. During the nuclear strike, however, most of the mobile lifeboats didn't even make it to the launch pads. Many of the refugees in those pods died on the spot due to catastrophic hull breaches, or were disintegrated straight during the nuclear attack. The room we saw was overcrowded, filled beyond capacity, and every single person in that room had all asphyxiated to death. It was horrible, Shinji. The bodies were still intact, and I can still remember the expression engraved on their faces …"

Shinji felt himself going stock still, as Sai turned to Flay. "Flay, we have another shift this evening. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Yes, and nothing you say is going to change my mind," Flay said stubbornly. "And don't worry, I won't let myself be a burden to you all."

"You're working again later?" Shinji asked. "In that case, maybe you should go and rest now."

"Now that you mention it …" Sai stifled a yawn. "Alright, I'll follow your orders. Flay, what about you?"

"I … I'm going to try sleep this off," Flay mumbled.

"You know that I know that you know it's impossible." Sai rose. "Shall I go over to your room later?"

"Ehhh? Wh-what are you implying?!"

"_Nothing_, Flay. You've a bunk bed you're sharing with Milly, right? I'll take the top while you take the bottom, at least until Milly returns from her shift. That way, you can holler if you need anything."

"OK, fine." Flay said, face flushing. "Thanks."

Sai patted Shinji's shoulder. "See you around," he said. "If you need anything feel free to call."

Shinji went back to his lunch when Sai and Flay were gone. But his mind was somewhere else as he shovelled food into his mouth. _No wonder Misato's been so quiet these few days, _he realised. Every day, Misato had been doing twin shifts, with minimal rest in between. In all that time that she'd been working, just what would she have seen? _Probably things far worse than what Sai said._

Shinji fingered his spoon. _I hate piloting EVA, _he thought. _I'm scared of it. I don't want to do it anymore, but people are in more unenviable positions than me. Everyone's doing their best … I can't stop now._

* * *

**7 February, CE 71**

It was already seven in the morning by the time Misato dressed down, showered, scarfed down a quick breakfast, and dragged her feet to her room for a short four hour-long break before her next shift. She was exhausted beyond imagination after marathoning sapper work for the past week, and her health had already deteriorated to a point where she had begun sniffling, much to her chagrin.

_Damn, _Misato thought irritably as she collapsed on top of her bed. _I can't believe I'm actually getting a cold. I'm supposed to be a Coordinator, for goodness sake. Being in outer space for such long periods of time must be affecting me worse than I thought._

It was then that she noticed something unfamiliar on her bedside table. As she picked herself up, she saw that it was her _One Piece _cup, and that there was a note underneath:

_Hello Misato,_

_Are you down with the flu? I found some ginger tea packets by your desk, so I thought I would use one. I hope you don't mind._

_Shinji_

Misato twisted the lid open, and steam billowed out. "Silly Shinji," she murmured, all the while smiling warmly to herself. "It's just a cold …" She took a sip from the cup. _Mmm … I feel better already. Shinji's worried that I might overwork myself, but I should tell him that our resupply work is finishing. And Ritsuko told me he's doing well in his training. Guess that calls for a celebration …_

Misato's Blackberry vibrated. Grunting, she put down her cup and reached out to pluck her phone from the charging unit by the foot of her bed.

_No! _The device tumbled from her hand as she sprang from her bed and bounded towards the door, all trace of sleepiness vanished in an instant. For on the screen was the following text:

WARNING

Pattern Analysis: Blood Type BLUE 06

Classified as SECOND Angel

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-11: The Battle Above Junius Seven


	11. The Battle Above Junius Seven

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-11: The Battle Above Junius Seven

**7 February, CE 71**

"_Electrifying LCL."_

Shinji looked out at the hangar, where a not-unfamiliar scene of organised chaos was, once again, unfolding before him.

"_Shinji."_

Shinji perked up at Misato's voice. "Yes?"

"_It's the real deal this time," _she said over the radio. _"The Second Angel."_

"Yes, I know that."

"_Don't worry. I've seen your results from your training over the past week. Just do as I say, and you'll be fine."_

"Yes." Shinji could scarcely hear his voice over the loud _thum-thum-thum _of his racing heart.

"_And Shinji?"_

"Yes, Misato?"

Misato smiled. _"Thanks for the tea."_

Shinji flushed. "Y-you're welcome."

"_Let's finish this once and for all," _Misato said determinedly. _"See you back at the hangar, Shinji."_

As EVA-01 ascended towards the _Archangel_'s launch catapult, Shinji began trembling. Denial rang strongly in his mind, even as his heart continued its haphazard sprint with no sign of relenting.

_I … I'm going to face another Angel already. Misato said it was the _second_, so does it mean that there are the third, fourth, even fifth Angels? How many days has it been since the first Angel attacked? Five? Six? A week? No, I suppose it's more than that … ever since I boarded the _Archangel _I've completely lost track of time. But does it mean a new Angel will appear every week? No, no, no, that is out of hand, it's impossible … right?_

_Just how many weeks will it take before we get back to Orb?_

The _Archangel_'s catapult shaft opened up, and there, Shinji could see, a crimson dot against the infinite darkness of outer space.

The Second Angel.

_Misato implied that my results of my training were passable, and Professor Akagi said the same, but … _Shinji wound his shaking fingers around the control yokes by the pilot's seat. _But this is different. I'm fighting a real monster this time._

_I, I can't do this. _Shinji's lips parted. "Mi-Misa …" he stuttered. _I don't want to fight. Don't make me do this. _"Misato …"_ Let me back in._

_Please …_

"_EVA-01, systems all green."_

Immediately, Misato spoke

"_EVA-01, launch!"_

And he was out.

Using his hybrid energy pack, Shinji manoeuvred EVA-01 down towards the surface of the baseplate, letting it hover just a few metres above the remnants of what used to be the centre of Junius Seven's life support systems. Following close behind was the _Archangel_; looking closely, Shinji saw that the catapult had reopened.

The radio crackled to life. _"Shinji," _Misato said. _"We're sending the Strike out now together with the Moebius Zeroes."_

"Ye … yes."

"Another Angel, eh?" Murrue said. "It's … disgusting."

"You scared, Murrue?" Mu spoke up next in a tantalising voice.

"Shut up, Flaga. If you're going to act all high and mighty I'm going to have the captain take you off this mission."

"You better not, Captain Ramius! Who knows when you'd have another chance to shoot down a monster like this?! Gods, I feel like I'm in a B-movie with a Hollywood budget."

Why was everyone like this? Hadn't they seen the destruction the first Angel wrought? EVA-01 itself obliterated Heliopolis single-handedly — were they here to restrain him if the EVA goes out of control again? _But if EVA goes out of control, there's nothing they can do —_

"_Here's the plan, everyone," _Misato began. _"There was no time to have a proper brief before, so I'll do it now. Your roles are as follows: mobile armour squadron, henceforth named MA-1 for convenience's sake, you will be bait together with the _Archangel_. Kira, you're Shinji's wingman for this op. Shinji, stay where you are. Clear so far?"_

"Crystal, captain."

"_The _Archangel_ and MA-1 will lure the Angel towards EVA-01. Once it's within range, Shinji, deploy your AT Field. Kira, EVA-01's AT Field will neutralise the Angel's, which leaves it vulnerable to attack. The moment that happens, unload all your ammunition into the Angel's core."_

"Got it."

"_Shinji, we've equipped EVA-01 with a beam rifle. Immediately after the Angel's AT Field is down, snipe its core together with Kira. The past few days we've put you through intensive training with the EVA's weapons systems; you'll do just fine."_

"Yes." Shinji's voice was barely a whisper.

"_Let's get this done in five," _Misato declared. _"_Archangel_, launch!"_

The titan that was the _A__rchangel_ surged ahead, her knights trailing closely behind in her wake. Shinji turned down his engines, and unlatched his weapon from his hybrid pack. Beside him, Kira did the same.

Two hundred metres ahead was the Angel, a loathsome creature that at first glance resembled a monstrously large larva with a pair of jointed arms attached to its elongated fire-red body. Five pairs of segmented legs, not unlike that of an insect's, extended from its thorax, all of them wriggling in tandem with a ravenous fervour.

One pair of bulging, unblinking eyes occupied the topside of the creature's head. A round gaping hole, lined with hundreds of gnashing razor-sharp teeth, filled the expanse of the raw, pulsing, slimy flesh beneath. Shinji saw every single detail through the scope of his rifle, from the gleaming scarlet orb perched innocently atop its thorax down to the minuscule droplets of blood-like slime oozing from its mandibles.

"_Gottfrieds, fire!"_

The _Archangel_'s cannons, powerful enough to puncture a hole straight through Heliopolis' multi-layered bulkheads, didn't even put a scratch on the Angel's exoskeleton. Instead, it breezed through the explosion nonchalantly, and then shifted direction.

"Kira! Shinji!" Mu roared. "Our plan's working. The monster will be within range in two more minutes. Weapons on the ready!"

From the Angel's pronged arms erupted a pair of tentacles. Encased in a strange pinkish light, they lashed out at the _Archangel_, only to miss and land on the ruins littering the baseplate below. Shinji's eyes widened as the tentacles carved out huge chunks from the dilapidated structures, slicing through the concrete and steel effortlessly as if they were made of paper.

A soft beep resonated; the Angel had trespassed into EVA-01's range. Their AT Fields collided, flickering in an out of existence momentarily before dissolving. Manipulating the controls with slippery fingers, Shinji brought up his rifle, focusing the dot sight on his target.

Kira fired first, his weapon flaring with abandon. And as the first beams hit their target with deadly accuracy a web of cracks began to emerge, spreading across the core like ivy tendrils.

"_Shinji! What the hell are you doing?" _Misato bellowed; EVA-01 was idling. _"Fire your weapon!"_

Shinji swallowed. Forcing down the fear that was creeping up his throat like bile, he crushed the trigger in a vice-like grip, refusing to let go.

"Shinji," Kira called out. "Shinji, watch your target!" Shinji's rounds were going astray, hitting everywhere but their intended target.

"Damn," Mu swore. "That boy's losing it. I'll go in and fire in his place; Murrue, cover my six!"

"_SHINJI! Calm down!" _Misato yelled desperately. _"Stop firing!"_

But Shinji was frozen in place, for the Angel was no longer preoccupied with sinking the _Archangel_. Shinji gave a whimper as two unblinking eyes stared down at him, appraising … mocking …

The Strike dropped its rifle and dived, shoving EVA-01 away just as the Angel's energy whips came crashing down, slashing deep chasms across the baseplate. "Shinji, calm down!" Kira grunted, as EVA-01 began struggling against the Strike's arms.

The Angel swooped in, grabbing EVA-01's ankles and prying it away from Kira's grasp. It hauled Shinji high up, hanging him upside down like a carcass in the abattoir. A moment's apprehension was all it took before it flung the EVA away as if it weighed as much as a twig, all the way to the outer rim of the Junius Seven baseplate.

Disregarding the Strike completely, the Angel turned in EVA-01's direction and began advancing. _"Don't engage the Angel, Kira!" _Misato shouted as the Strike primed its engines and brandished a beam sabre. _"MA-1 and _Archangel _will divert its attention, so hurry and get Shinji out of the way!"_

And then Kira heard, _"EVA-01's radar picked up something!" _He gasped as the Strike's telephoto cameras focused on a sapper shuttle drifting right underneath EVA-01's limp body. Recognising the manned craft immediately, Kira snatched up the radio, "Milly! Flay! Are you there?"

"_Kira!" _Miriallia cried out. _"Our engine stalled! Help us!"_

Kira got into action immediately, opening the Strike's thrusters up wide. But even as the engines whined with the effort Kira found the distance between him and the Angel widening. "Shit!" he cursed out loud. _I … I can't catch up! Just how fast is that thing?!_

With a gleeful screech, the Angel pounced upon its quarry, tentacles flaying in orgasmic ardour. "NO!" Kira screamed.

And EVA-01's arms moved, reaching out and grabbing the Angel's tentacles.

"_YEEARRRGGGGHHHHH!" _Kira heard Shinji cry. There was a fulmination of sparks, as the energy whips began tearing into EVA-01's armour.

Choking back tears as his palms burned, Shinji spluttered, "K-Kira! Hur … ry …"

It looked like it might crumble any moment, but EVA-01's AT Field was up and running. It melded with the Angel's, opening up a small vulnerable spot by a corner of its thorax. Kira attacked immediately, running his sabre through at point-blank range as directed by the Strike's targeting system.

A fountain of blood spurted out, drenching and staining the Strike's hull. It withdrew its weapon, then struck the Angel with its fist next, sending it spiralling away down to the ruins below. _"Miriallia, Flay!" _Misato instructed. _"Jettison your craft, and board EVA-01 now. There is ample space for three in the Entry Plug. You will be safe inside the EVA."_

EVA-01 fell limp, and with a hiss of steam the Entry Plug ejected. Using their SAFER jet packs, Miriallia and Flay cruised across the short distance between their shuttle and EVA-01. Once they were clambered in, the hatch at the top slid shut, and the cylinder began swivelling back into the EVA's neck shaft.

"_Restarting EVA."_

_Sploosh. _

"Wh-what is this?!" Flay shrieked, as she struggled to stay afloat in the LCL reservoir.

The darkness subsided, and when Miriallia and Flay had finally gotten used to breathing underwater they let loose gasps of amazement, as the desolation of the debris belt unravelled before them. Just then —

There was a muffled explosion. In an instant, darkness reigned once more. A siren then shattered the silence, just as dull brown emergency lighting flooded the Entry Plug in the next second. A countdown timer flashed into view. _5:00:00, 4:59:33, 4:58:67, _went the clock relentlessly.

"_Catastrophic damage found in battery stabilisers! EVA-01 will reach its operational limit in five minutes!"_

"_Shinji, retreat for now!" _Misato ordered. _"Kira, cover him. MA-1, protect the _Archangel_ while we load a new energy pack for EVA-01!"_

And yet Shinji didn't budge. Motionless in his seat, Shinji's eyes remained fixated on the Angel.

"Shinji?" Flay called out. "Shinji, did you hear? They are calling you back!"

But it was as if Shinji heard nothing.

Retreat? How did things turn out this way? _It's me, _Shinji thought desolately. _The reason why everything is so chaotic now … is because of me._

—_Shinji, watch your target!_

—_That boy's losing it. I'll go and fire in his place._

—_SHINJI! Calm down! Stop firing!_

Since the start of the battle, everyone had been yelling themselves hoarse at him, trying their best to knock some sense into him. Shinji was the one who hadn't responded in return. If he had gotten his act together right at the start, the situation wouldn't be as dire as it was now.

Shinji renewed his grip around the controls. _It's all because of me. I botched the entire battle. Centre the crosshairs on your target, then pull the trigger. The instructions were simple, so why couldn't I do it?!_

—_I'm counting on you._

Gendo's voice resonated within the Entry Plug. _I let Father down … how could I face him again? _

Shakily, Shinji threw a glance at the timer. Only four minutes left before EVA-01 shut down completely. Could he do it?

_I cannot run away, I cannot run away, I cannot run away!_

A hidden shaft down at EVA-01's hip popped open with a pneumatic hiss. Shinji reached down and grabbed the protruding hilt of a progressive knife weapon.

"_Shinji!" _Misato's horrified voice blared over the radio. _"What are you trying to do?! Retreat now!"_

Shinji gritted his teeth. There were less than three and a half minutes left. No time to hesitate now —!

"_**HHEEAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!"**_

The external batteries were down, but the thrusters were still functional. Shinji fired up the hybrid pack and made straight for the Angel, weapon raised.

EVA-01 was fast, but the Angel had greater reach. It lashed out its tentacles, driving both of them straight through the EVA's abdomen.

"Oouurrrk!" Shinji faltered, clutching his stomach. Excruciating pain bloomed, and he reared over and promptly threw up.

Miriallia and Flay watched on, tears in their eyes, as Shinji lifted his hands from his abdomen and placed them back at the controls, groaning and sobbing with the effort.

With its tentacles, the Angel hauled Shinji in, its terrible black hole of a mouth gnashing hungrily.

Shinji let himself get dragged, and when the Angel was close enough he lunged out, stabbing its core with his knife. Upon contact, the blade began to vibrate, so rapidly that its image blurred.

Sparks flew as the outer layer of the core gave way. The blade sank in, sawing its way through the viscera beneath. With the single most vital organ of its body compromised, the Angel was rendered totally paralysed. Unable to move at all, it could only screech and caw in sickeningly distorted tones as Shinji's blade drove it ever closer to the abyss of oblivion.

A minute was all that remained before EVA-01's auxiliary batteries ran out of juice. An inferno of pain wracked hell throughout his body, but Shinji soldiered on, screaming and shrieking as he shoved against the hilt of his knife, inching ever closer to victory —

The blade broke.

Shinji could only stare, dumbfounded, as the knife disintegrated before his eyes. With a triumphant cry the Angel pounced, diving mouth-first over EVA-01 —

The Strike entered the fray, swooping in with its beam sabre outstretched. Caught within EVA-01's AT Field, the Angel had been reduced to a mortal creature. Kira attacked, and his blade surged onwards into the core and erupted through the Angel's back.

The Angel's eyes bulged, then ballooned, before it exploded in a shower of putrid blood. Foam billowed from its mouth, even as its body began to bubble and boil. And finally, the violent reactions culminated in a conflagration of flesh, skin, and blood; in the end, all that was left were the tentacles, reduced to mere amputated limbs after its one source of energy had ceased to exist.

0:00:00. The emergency lights flickered off, enshrouding the Entry Plug in impenetrable darkness once again.

"You did it, Shinji," Flay whispered, touching Shinji's shoulder. "Shinji, you defeated the monster … huh?"

Shinji's hands fell limp, and his head lobbed down.

"Shinji!" Flay yelled in shock. "Shinji, are you OK? Wake up!"

Miriallia touched Shinji's neck, feeling for a pulse. "Flay, it's OK," she said. "He's just fainted."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Flay reached out, and brought Shinji into a more comfortable position against his seat. "Rest well," she said softly. "You earned it. And thank you so much. You saved my life again …"

* * *

By the time the Strike hauled EVA-01 back into the _Archangel_, Shinji had regained consciousness. Refusing any form of medical respite whatsoever, he instead retreated to the changing room, where he washed himself down and changed back into his civilian clothes.

Misato was outside waiting for him when he finally emerged. With an unfathomable expression on her face, she handed over an ice-cold water bottle. "Here," she said. "Drink up."

They began to walk. Shinji sipped from the straw, his eyes transfixed on the ground.

"Why did you disobey my orders?" Misato began, her voice soft.

There was no way out of this, she knew. Shinji had nearly died out there, in the battlefield. If Kira wasn't at hand when EVA-01's progressive knife snapped, they wouldn't be here having this confrontation.

"I'm sorry." Everything felt like a dream to Shinji, even Misato's voice. After all that he had endured, he was now numb to the core.

"I'm your commander, am I not?"

"Yes."

"It's your duty to follow my orders," Misato continued. "Do you get me?"

"Yes."

"Make sure this doesn't happen, am I clear on this?"

Shinji looked up at Misato. Now that he'd finally registered all that she had said, all he felt then was hurt. _I defeated the Angel, did I not? I risked my life just to defeat the Angel, didn't I? _The thoughts ran through Shinji's head in a whirl of pain and anger. _Why don't you recognise my effort, Misato? I tried to take responsibility for my shortcomings, so why are you angry?_

"Yes." Shinji looked back down.

Misato stopped. "Is that all you can say?" she said, voice rising. "Do you really understand what I'm telling you?"

Shinji halted in his tracks a few metres ahead of Misato. "Yes, I understand fully, Misato," he said, the words tumbling out through his lips without thought. "But it's fine, we won, didn't we?"

"What?"

"I won't disobey your orders the next time, Misato," Shinji said without turning back. "I will pilot EVA the next time you tell me to. I will retreat the next time you tell me to. I will fight the next time you tell me to. Isn't that what you want?"

Misato snapped, lunging forward and grabbing Shinji by the collar, fist raised. And then she froze, having realised what she was about to do in a fit of rage.

Back when she was a naval captain, she had struck recalcitrant soldiers, humiliated them with no regard for their pride, when their transgressions had nearly caused the demise of the entire ship, fleet even. But Shinji … he was different. He wasn't a soldier. There had been no malice in his actions, no sloth in his intentions, however haphazard they had been.

She dropped Shinji. "That's enough. Go back and get some rest."

Shinji turned, and stalked off.

As he rounded a corner, the strength left Misato's legs completely. She stumbled, slumping down against the wall. Her head fell, and she buried her face in her hands.

* * *

Meanwhile, a commotion was breaking out over at the hangar. After depositing EVA-01, Kira had promptly directed the Strike back out without any warning whatsoever. Much to the horror of everyone else, his batteries were nearly flat; should he run out of juice while still in space, there would be no way to retrieve him.

"Damn you, Kira Yamato!" Natarle roared as Kira alighted from the Strike. "Just how irresponsible can you get?"

"I'm opening the pod!" Kojiro bellowed before Kira could reply.

With the Strike, when it returned ten minutes later, was a lifeboat: a spherical one-man craft, small enough to nestle on the Strike's palm. According to Kira, it had been drifting even before the _Archangel_ encroached upon the debris belt, though its SOS signal was only picked up after the chaos of the Angel battle had subsided.

"Go on ahead!" Natarle said.

With the hatch to the lifeboat jammed, Kojiro had no choice but to bring in specialised equipment to pry it open. "Has it never crossed your mind," Natarle said as work commenced, "that the lifeboat might be a trap before you approached it?"

"I told you," Kira said impatiently, "It's not a booby trap! If it was, I wouldn't be here now, would I?"

Natarle sighed in frustration. "How can you say that so casually …"

"It's open!" Kojiro bellowed. "Stand by —"

"_Haro, haro!"_

Everyone looked in wonder as a petite pink sphere bounced out from within the lifeboat. Nobody noticed that the craft had another occupant, until she spoke up:

"I thank you for your assistance."

It was a tender and sweet-sounding voice that resounded across the hangar. A smile broke out on the young girl's face as she gave a deep bow.

"I hope I don't sound rude, but where in the world have I ended up?"

Silence reigned, as everyone present took in the girl's flowing pink hair and familiar features with growing shock. As an increasingly awkward silence reigned, Natarle stepped forth.

"Welcome aboard the _Archangel_," she said, extending a hand, "Lacus Clyne."

* * *

Shinji was not in their room when Misato returned, so she thought he might be in the dining hall or the lounge, avoiding her presence. Sighing, she quickly showered and changed into a fresh set of uniform; the day was not over yet, at least for her. In fact, she had a nagging feeling that it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Misato met Natarle outside Lacus Clyne's room, which had been prepared for her an hour ago. "Damn, you seriously picked Lacus Clyne up from Junius Seven?" Misato asked incredulously.

"Kira did. Anyway, you know Lacus Clyne, Katsuragi?"

"I should be asking you that question!" Misato shot back. "Believe me when I say that Lacus Clyne's hotter in Orb than the PLANTs. Her Orb tours are always sell-outs, and I've never seen her get second or less in the Oricon charts before."

"In the Atlantic Federation, the government initiated a blanket ban on all Lacus Clyne-related media," Natarle said. "Everyone was more interested in the pop princess' father."

"Siegel Clyne, chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council," Misato huffed. "Tch. They don't know what they are missing."

The slightest of smiles broke out on Natarle's face as she said, "I know." Before Misato could reply, she stepped up and knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Lacus Clyne's voice rang out cheerfully.

They entered. "Wow, it really is Lacus Clyne," Misato said in amazement. She stretched out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Clyne. It's an honour to have you on board the _Archangel_."

Lacus Clyne stood up and shook Misato's hand. "Please, do call me Lacus," she said. "And a good morning to you, Captain Katsuragi. Or is it afternoon? Sorry, I kind of lost track of time on my way here."

"Likewise, 'Misato' will do just fine for me," Misato said. "For your information, the ship's clocks are calibrated to Heliopolis time; it's now four in the afternoon. If you wish, we can arrange to have a spare clock installed in your room, however temporary your stay might be."

"Miss Lacus?" Natarle spoke up. "May I ask, what were you doing all the way out here?"

"We have a memorial ceremony for the anniversary of Junius Seven planned," Lacus explained. "I was there on a preliminary visit, and also for a short rehearsal. We were just about to leave when we chanced upon a ship belonging to the Earth forces."

A chill went down Misato's spine. "An Earth ship?" she said. "Is it a warship?"

Lacus nods. "The officers wanted to board our ship for an official inspection, and we agreed," she continued. "However, they seemed … upset at our intentions for visiting Junius Seven. A quarrel broke out, which soon ballooned into a major confrontation. The next thing I know, I was being forced into a lifeboat by my manager. I was ejected immediately after."

It was a no-brainer as to what had happened next.

"Don't worry," Natarle said. "You're safe with us here. There are Naturals aboard the _Archangel_, but most of our crew are from Orb. We have passengers on board with us, but they are refugees we picked up from Heliopolis. In fact, everyone would be more than happy if they could just see your face."

"I'll be glad to have a chance to talk to everyone," Lacus said earnestly. "It got quite lonely when I was drifting in the lifeboat, with only Haro for company."

"With things as they are now, we can't bring you back to PLANT, but the _Archangel_ is Orb-bound," Misato said. "You can arrange for a shuttle back once we reach Orb. In the meantime, we have some spare clothing you can use. They don't really look good, but they can tide you over well over the next few weeks, at least until we finish laundering your dress."

"But before we do anything, however," Natarle said briskly, "do allow me to get rid of the eavesdroppers outside first." She got up and stalked towards the door.

Gasps rang out as Natarle wrenched open the door. Misato gave a small chuckle, as Kira's friends, Tolle, Sai and Kuzzey quailed underneath Natarle's death glare.

"Slacking, huh?" Natarle said in a dangerously soft voice.

"No, no, we're not —"

"Get back to work this instant!" Natarle bellowed. "I don't want to see your arses elsewhere except for the damn hangar!"

* * *

Misato began to get worried when she returned to her room that evening and found it empty. There was also no sign that Shinji had ever entered the room since the confrontation a few hours ago. Wasting no time, she whirled around and exited, striding down the corridor towards the dining hall.

There was no one around in the dining hall save for Miriallia and Flay, who were poring over a screen and giggling rather hysterically. "You two!" Misato barked, heading over.

"Eeeks!" The two girls jumped at Misato's yell. Flipping her phone over hastily, Flay stood up.

"Ye-yes?"

"Did you see Shinji?" Misato said sharply.

"Not since this afternoon," Flay replied. "Why?"

"I can't find him," Misato said. "He's definitely somewhere on the ship, but I'm still a bit worried. Can I get you to give me a call when you see him?"

"Sure thing," Flay answered. "Milly and I doing the graveyard shift tonight, so we're free till then. We can help look around, if you want."

"That would be helpful," Misato said. "Thanks a lot, you two."

"Don't mention it," Flay said with a smile. "He did save our lives, after all."

"I'm counting on you both, then." Misato turned and left the dining hall. She started when she saw Lacus by the entrance, twiddling her thumbs and looking a tad apprehensive.

"Miss Lacus? What are you doing here?"

"I'm really sorry to bother you, Miss Misato," Lacus said. "I was walking by when I thought I heard a familiar name. By any chance, is Ikari Shinji aboard this ship?"

"Yeah, he is. Do you know him?"

"Yes!" Lacus said happily. "Where is he? May I meet him?"

"That's the problem," Misato said sheepishly. "I kind of lost him when I hollered at him this afternoon. How come you know that boy, anyway?"

"I've known Shinji since last year," Lacus said. "He was the one who saved my life."

Misato's eyes widened. "Tell me more," she said.

It was a testament to Lacus' growing fame when EBS, one of Orb's major broadcasting corporations, offered her a spot in their end-year _Kohaku Uta Gassen _show, which was an invitation-only event extended to only established artistes. Having travelled to Earth not even once in her life, Lacus had jumped at the chance.

"Both my father and manager were pretty adamant about me not stepping even one foot outside of PLANT," Lacus said. "But Earth, our blue planet, the cradle of humanity … I wanted to see it just once. At that time, I felt that I would die happy if I get to take even one step on Earth's soil."

Something flashed in Misato's memory. "The Shindokan terrorist attack," she murmured.

"Yes, you're right," Lacus said. "The terrorists attacked when it was my turn up on stage. After I finished performing my first song, they launched smoke grenades into the stage. They'd planned to assassinate me during the ensuing chaos, using gunmen they planted at the front seats. But just when they were about to fire their weapons, Shinji and his friends jumped on me. After a stray bullet hit one of the gunmen, they smuggled me out amidst the confusion."

Misato nodded. The Blue Cosmos terrorists actually had the audacity to attempt a frontal assault in broad daylight, and the outrage following the incident lasted for nearly a month. The media had countless field days with the attack, and she could still remember vividly several of the headlines that had flashed continuously all day throughout the city electronic billboards, news channels, and the Internet: UPROAR — ASSASSINATION AT EBS KOHAKU EVENT; BLUE COSMOS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACK; UZUMI APOLOGISES FOR SECURITY LAPSE; TENSIONS RISE BETWEEN ORB AND PLANT; BOY TRIO SAVED THE PINK PRINCESS etc etc.

"Anyway," Lacus continued, "you said something about Shinji being lost …"

"Ah, that's right," Misato said heavily. "Perhaps I was too harsh with him … he's avoiding me now. I'm worried, because the _Archangel_ is big enough that you could actually get lost in it."

"I'll help keep a look out," Lacus offered. "If I chance upon Shinji I will call the bridge."

"Thanks a lot for your help," Misato said gratefully. "But do take note not to get lost yourself."

"I won't, so there's no need to worry." Lacus touched Misato's hand. "I hope you find Shinji soon."

* * *

**8 February, CE 71**

"I wanna die …"

Flay uttered as she stumbled from the sapper craft, after what was their third graveyard shift for the week. "Urgh, I feel like shit," she grunted, massaging her face.

"Stop complaining," Miriallia said grumpily.

"You know, Milly, every weekend I have this really hot looking masseur come over my house and give me a head-to-toe package," Flay droned, as they made their way to the changing rooms. "He's a dermatologist, too, that's why my face is so exquisite. And he's got a really fit and _absolutely _sexy bod. Shall I introduce him to you someday?"

"Save it. I'm not really too comfortable being alone in a room with —"

"He's gay, Milly."

…

"Just so you know," Flay added irritably, "he introduced me to his boyfriend last month."

"Oh."

Flay shrugged off her suit and stepped into the shower cubicle, sighing in raw pleasure as hot water gushed down her skin. "Have they found Shinji yet, Milly?" Flay asked as applied Asience onto her hair. Having boarded the _Archangel_ when she had been out at school, Flay had almost nothing to her name, save for her wallet, smartphone, and tablet. The toiletries, as with their uniforms and other necessities, were kind donations made by several crew members Flay and Miriallia had gotten to know through their shifts.

"No luck, I heard," Miriallia said from an adjacent cubicle.

"What?" Flay said incredulously. "Didn't they do a ship-wide search just before our shift began?"

"And apparently nobody found anything." Miriallia bit her lip. "You know, the fact that we're in outer space makes that ten times scarier. If he's nowhere to be found on the _Archangel_, then …"

"Stop scaring yourself!" Flay spluttered. She flipped off the shower. "I'm done. Tell you what, Milly, once you're finished head back up to our room first; I'll take-away breakfast."

"Really? Thanks!"

"No problem," Flay said gruffly. "Just don't fall asleep before I get back."

Stomach growling, Flay left the changing room in a hurry after pulling on a new set of uniform, a mismatched ensemble comprising of a wrinkly NERV jacket and an old OMNI Enforcer vest all the way back from Natarle's cadet days. Looking at her watch, it was six forty-five in the morning. The dining hall opened at seven, and if Flay was fast enough she could beat the crowd.

This morning, however, something caught Flay's eye as she took the lift down. A solitary button, coloured scarlet and situated in a solitary spot above the customary array of numbered and emergency buttons.

SSS

"SSS?" Flay wondered out loud. "I've never seen it before …" Hunger momentarily forgotten, she reached up and jabbed the button.

* * *

Flay had never, in her wildest imaginations, thought that she would be friends with Miriallia Haw. Even though Flay and Miriallia took the same course in JTU they were from two completely different worlds. To Flay, Miriallia was your typical conservative hag, old-fashioned and plain, whom to her chagrin Tolle Koenig, one of the more popular jocks on campus, seemed to like terribly. For Miriallia, on the other hand, 'slut' was the kindest word she could use to describe Flay.

Their unlike friendship had begun to take root on the day they gotten themselves stranded above the ruins of Junius Seven, right in front of the most epic man versus monster battle the two girls had ever seen in their lives. Somehow, in that short span of time spent submerged in LCL watching the life and death battle unfold before them, several inexplicit barriers had melted away like ice on sun-baked gravel.

_I may not look like one, but I'm actually still a virgin, _Flay had whispered to Miriallia after that, and from then on they were friends, borne out of trauma and a deep respect and gratitude for the people who had risked lives just to save theirs.

"Shit," Flay cursed, as she alighted from the lift after what seemed like an eternity, into an entirely different world.

"The fuck am I?!"

Here, at level SSS, the walls were transparent, having been made out of what appeared to be tough tempered glass. Looking around with growing panic, Flay saw that she was right smack in the middle of a cavernous chamber that looked to be at least three storeys tall. It was shaped in a dome, the sides even and smooth, and was lit not by the extensive energy strips lining the upper echelons of the _Archangel_, but by a dull crimson hue that was omnipresent yet seemed to have no visible source.

Flay was on a bridge, a gangling metal platform supported by thick stilts spanning one side of the chamber, where the lift lobby was, all the way to the other, where a heavyset steel door stood between a large box-like compartment and the bridge itself.

A vast sheet of water, dyed blood-red by the crimson light, blanketed the chamber. Mere centimetres of space were all that separated the bridge and the water surface. Every now and then a ripple or two would break across, distorting the blurry images that the light threw over the surface.

Flay began to walk, trotting with trepidation down the sprawling bridge. There was something — what exactly, she couldn't see clearly — at the far end, a bundle-shaped silhouette on the floor. As she got closer, she realised with growing horror that it was ... shivering.

The steel door loomed before her. On it, she saw, were engraved the following characters:

HIMMEL

Flay was fluent in four languages, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and German. 'Himmel', she knew, was German for 'heaven'. An image flashed in her memory, of a crimson forearm patch that the _Archange_'s crew wore.

NERV: God's in His _Heaven_, All's Right with the World

Might this cavern have something to do with the clandestine organisation, the sole proprietor of the demonic-looking Evangelions?

But that was not important now. Because, at that moment, Flay had finally located Shinji, slumbering and shivering at the foot of the HIMMEL armoured structure. His was the silhouette Flay saw, trembling as the frigid air got the better of him.

"Shinji!" Flay cried out, dashing over to the boy's side.

Shinji's eyes fluttered open. "Huh-bluh?"

"You idiot, whatever the hell are you doing down here?!" Flay said shrilly.

"I … I …"

"Never mind that now, you look filthy!" Flay grabbed Shinji's hand. "I'm bringing you to Sai's room. You'd probably want to go back to your room, but the captain's back there, and trust me, she's _pissed._ So you're staying with Sai for the moment, and when you've fed and washed yourself I will call her over. You understand everything that I'd said?" Whirling around, Flay stalked back down the bridge, Shinji in tow.

"Ye-yes," Shinji stammered, stumbling along in a shell-shocked daze.

"And you better not sneak off again," Flay warned. "I know you saved my ass back there, but do you know how much you've worried everyone by pulling your little damn Houdini act? You nearly grounded the ship! Honestly, do you want to get back to Orb or not?! Cause _I_ want to, whether you like it or not!"

"Sorry," Shinji mumbled, giving a loud sneeze.

Flay sighed, and took off her jacket. Wrapping it around Shinji's shoulders, she then pulled him in closer to her side. "Feeling better?" she asked, her tone a tad gentler.

Shinji gave a hiccough. "Ye-yeah," he said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Flay said gruffly.

They reached the lift lobby. "Shinji," Flay asked as they waited for the lift to arrive, "do you have any idea what this place is?"

"No." Shinji shook his head.

"Then how the hell did you end up here in the first place?"

"I … took the lift," Shinji said uncertainly. "There was this button labelled 'SSS', so I pressed it. At that time, I wasn't really thinking about where it would take me to."

Flay frowned. "If that's the case," she said after a long moment, "I think it's best if we don't tell anyone about here."

"Huh?"

"When we go back up," Flay continued, "and if people asked for your whereabouts, say that you've been hiding in my room since yesterday. I'll get Milly to vouch for you, since we're sharing the same room. It is imperative that you do not tell anyone, not even Milly, Sai, or Kira and his friends, that you've been to this place. Is that clear?"

"But why?" Shinji asked in confusion.

"If there's one thing I trust with my life, it's my memory," Flay said. "I swear that I've never seen that 'SSS' button until today. That can only mean one thing. Somewhere in these lifts is a security mechanism that is supposed to conceal that bloody 'SSS' button, and thus, this god-forsaken place."

Flay took a deep breath. "Assuming what I said was true, then it's logical to conclude that there are only a few people aboard this ship who would know that this place exists. One of those idiots had probably forgot to lock up the damn place when they left. As such, all the lifts in lobby 'D' here have public access to 'SSS'."

"There's nothing here," Shinji spoke up. "What are you so worked up about?"

"HIMMEL," Flay breathed. "Something's behind that door, I'm very sure. Something that's not for our eyes to see. Do you get it now, Shinji? The moment it gets out that we've been down here, in 'SSS', our lives would probably be in danger. If you don't want anything bad to happen, you'll keep quiet. And so will I."

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-12: The Fading Light

* * *

A/N: PHASE-12 will be published on the **28th of April 2013**.


	12. The Fading Light

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-12: The Fading Light

**8 February, CE 71**

Ritsuko stood, alone, in lift 04 of Lobby D, eyes bulging, body frozen as if encased in solid ice.

SSS

The seemingly innocent red button screamed out at her accusingly.

Using a special key, a select few aboard the _Archangel_ could unlock the card reader hidden beneath a sliding panel located just above the button array. Once an authorised NERV ID card was inserted into the reader, and the correct 12-digit PIN entered into a NERV-issue Blackberry, a second panel would open beside it, revealing a DNA scanner. Only after submitting the appropriate fingerprint and blood sample would access to the SSS level of the _Archangel _then be granted.

Upon reaching level SSS, the security system would reset itself. The lifts would then be locked down, and users wishing to exit the place would have to restart from square one, and work through the aforementioned steps again. A frustratingly irksome setup, no doubt, but the secrets SSS held were far too precious for NERV to take any chances.

Ritsuko directed her Blackberry's near-field sensor to the wireless interface by the emergency panel, and uploaded a diagnostic program into the lift's mainframe. To her utmost horror, the security system had crashed two days ago, resulting in a fatal interruption to the feedback loop that would reactivate the locks when the lift entered level SSS or was idle for more than 130 seconds.

Two days … in forty-eight hours, just how many people would have noticed the glaringly red button? And how many would have pressed it out of curiosity? Lobby D was located in a secluded corner of the _Archangel_, and few people, if any, had ever used the lifts here. But it would only take one, just one, unknowing intruder to compromise the integrity of the entire HIMMEL containment system. Nobody, not even Misato, whose rank was the third highest in NERV's hierarchy after Fuyutsuki and Gendo, could ever know of HIMMEL's existence.

Across the _Archangel_, out of her two hundred-odd crew, only three had access to level SSS. Fuyutsuki, Gendo, and Ritsuko. The elaborate security system, designed by Ritsuko herself, was put into place to ensure the status quo didn't change. The same system that was crippled because of a simple flaw that Ritsuko overlooked when she programmed the software.

With shaking hands, Ritsuko rebooted the security system. As the SSS button disappeared beneath multiple layers of lead-lined chrome, she disconnected her Blackberry from the mainframe.

It didn't end there, however. Ritsuko exited the lift, breaking into a sprint halfway down the corridor towards her room. There was only one way of going about this crisis, to atone for her complacency: examine the CCTV records, then isolate and interrogate any crew or passenger who had so much as lay a finger near the SSS button.

If she had to kill to maintain the status quo, then so be it. Instrumentality came above all.

* * *

_Knock, knock_

"Coming!" Sai called out. He swung open the door, then hiccoughed in fright as he saw who it was outside. "C-C-Captain! Go-good morning …"

"Morning to you, Sai," Misato said flatly. "Is Shinji in?"

"Why yes, he is. Do you have anything for him?"

"I want to talk to him."

"Well …"

"Now."

Sai sighed, stepping aside. "He's inside," he said in resignation. "I'll … just leave you two be."

"That would be great," Misato said. "Thanks."

Quailing under Misato's death glare, Sai scarpered immediately, slamming the door as he did so.

Shinji was sitting on the edge of Sai's bunk bed, twiddling his thumbs and looking determinedly at the floor. Misato stepped into the room, stopping just half a metre in front of Shinji.

She folded her arms. "So Shinji," she said, her voice betraying no emotion whatsoever. "Did your little stroll clear things up for you?"

"Not really," Shinji muttered. "For all it did, I realised just one thing … after becoming an Evangelion pilot, I have absolutely no freedom anymore. In any case, I've no choice but to pilot EVA, have I?"

Misato's eyebrow twitched, as she struggled to control her temper. "Of course you've no choice," Misato said evenly. "Everyone's relying on you. Because you're the only one who can operate EVA-01. Not me, not Rei, and certainly not Kira, and Mu and Murrue. Only you."

"Fine, then," Shinji said tonelessly. "I'll pilot EVA. If everyone wants me to do it, I'll do it."

"You talk about everyone else, but what about yourself?" Misato said. "Do you want to pilot EVA-01? Every single one of us here aboard the _Archangel_ definitely wishes for EVA-01 to continue fighting. But what about you?"

All Misato needed, was for Shinji to find purpose in his actions. As reluctant as he was, Kira had taken up the Strike's mantle, if only to protect his friends. No matter the risk, Mu and Murrue had refused to give up fighting in their Moebius Zeroes, because they wanted to fly. Because flying was the all that they knew.

Shinji needed a reason, Misato thought. Only then, perhaps, would he stop blaming himself. Shinji hated EVA. He feared it. But if he had a purpose in being EVA-01's pilot, then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't loathe it that much.

"You know I think that's impossible," Shinji murmured. And then, voice rising, he continued, "And despite that, you, Ayanami, _Father_ —"

"Stop that nonsense!" Misato declared angrily. "This has nothing to do with other people! EVA-01 is yours, and yours only. This is your fight, your life. Decide how you want your future to unfold. Nobody can do that for you. Whether you still have confidence to pilot EVA, whether you will admit that there are people out there who care about you, you decide." And saying that, she strode out of the room.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Sai asked as Shinji made towards the door.

"Yeah, I suppose," Shinji said. "I shouldn't impose on you any longer. I've my own room, after all."

Sai sighed. "If you say so," he said. "You want to join me for dinner later? It's six already." The _Archangel_'s dining hall closed at six-thirty in the evening each day.

"If … if you don't mind," Shinji said.

"Of course I don't," Sai said, giving a grin. "Go back, and wash up. I daresay you haven't brushed your teeth for the past twenty-four hours. I'll see you over at the dining hall at six-fifteen."

"OK."

"Don't be late!" Sai called out, as Shinji exited the room. He turned, and began walking down the corridor …

"Good evening, Shinji."

Shinji's heart leapt as he whirled around at the familiar-sounding voice. "Miss Clyne?" he gasped, jaw dropping. "Is that really you?"

Lacus chuckled. "As I've told you more than a month ago," she said, her eyes twinkling, "you can call me Lacus."

"I-I'm sorry," Shinji said quickly.

"Don't be," Lacus said gently. "Where were you headed?"

"I'm going back to my room to wash up," Shinji replied. "Then I'm going to have dinner with Sai."

Lacus nodded. "In that case, we're headed the same way. Shall we get a move on, then?"

"Su-sure."

They resumed walking. "You must be wondering," Lacus piped up after a momentary silence, "how I ended up here."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask."

And so Lacus began her account on the circumstances that led to her being stranded aboard a lifeboat over the ruins of Junius Seven. "I saw the fight with that horrible monster up close," Lacus said softly. "I've never seen something so … vicious."

"You were there when we fought the Angel?" Shinji asked in shock. "Why didn't we see you?"

"My lifeboat's communications mast was damaged in the hasty evacuation," Lacus explained. "Mr Kira only picked up my SOS signal after the battle."

"I see …"

"You know, Shinji, I was never scared of death," Lacus said. "Last year, even as I ran for my life together with you, Toji, and Kensuke, I didn't feel a single ounce of fear. I hope I don't sound pretentious, because I'm really telling the truth."

Shinji smiled at the memory. "I know," he said. "I could have sworn back then you were smiling."

"It was hope, I guess," Lacus said. "I'm a Coordinator, a foreigner from the PLANTs. There was no need for anyone to help me at that time, even if they were Coordinators. But then you three came up, and ran with me. Three Natural children, offering without hesitation to a Coordinator like me … if anything, it gave me the justification I need to soldier on, to fuel my hope that the world would really be a better place."

"It wasn't really like that," Shinji said embarrassedly. "You were our idol, and we just wanted to hear you sing again in the future. That's all."

"Still, that doesn't deny the fact that you saved my life, does it?"

"I-if you say so …"

Lacus smiled. "But you know," she continued, "yesterday, as I knelt in my lifeboat, watching the battle through the porthole, I realised something."

She paused, and Shinji looked at her expectantly.

"I want to live," Lacus said simply. "It's not that I'm finally started to fear Death, as I'm supposed to be, but at that time, I told myself, _I want to live. _I want to live for as long as possible. Until the flickering candle of my life is finally extinguished, I will not give up. Seeing that terrible monster, the 'Angel', I realised that there are many mysteries of this world we live in that remain unsolved. A whole treasure chest of knowledge, and we have the key to it. If only we'd stretch our hand far enough … and that's why I want to live. At the very least, I want to be able to unlock that treasure chest."

Shinji l0oked away. "There are some things, I think," he murmured, "that we're better off not knowing."

"That mobile suit, the 'Evangelion', as I was told it was called …" Lacus said. "That was you inside, wasn't it, Shinji?"

"How did you know?" Shinji asked, taken aback.

"Miss Misato told me. I ran into her while she was searching for you, and I asked." There was a thoughtful look on her face. "She couldn't tell me much, but I learnt that the methods of operating an Evangelion were fundamentally different from a mobile suit. It sounded really interesting, from what she told me. I wanted to find out more."

"Yeah … she's right," Shinji said. "But I'm not interested in EVA. I hate it. If I'd a choice, I wouldn't even be here."

Lacus reached out, and wrapped her fingers around Shinji's arm, which had inadvertently begun to shake. "You're scared," she began.

"Yes, I am!" Shinji burst out, unable to control himself. "And yet, even so, I've no choice, but to continue to pilot EVA …"

"Shinji. Why do we fear?"

"Huh?"

"The unknown," Lacus said. "It's the same everywhere. Humans are never frightened of the object of their fear, but rather, of what they don't know, as with fear itself. We hate fear, because it lays bare our weaknesses, and the things we're ignorant about. We refuse to venture out into the unknown because of our fear, and thus it becomes a vicious cycle."

"I …"

"That's why you ran away, isn't it?" Lacus said, her voice tender and exonerative. "As a pilot, you never know what will happen in your next battle. No matter how the strategy was, there's no way of knowing absolutely whether it will work out or not. As a commander, it gets ten times more frightening, knowing that the lives of your men are in your hands. My fiancée's a pilot in ZAFT, and he told me all that, thus I know."

"Misato … she's scared, too?"

"It's hard to tell, isn't it?"

Shinji's head bowed. _To think I've went and caused her so much worry …_

They reached a junction. "OK, Shinji, guess we've to part ways for now," Lacus said. "My room's just round the next corner."

"Mine's further ahead," Shinji said miserably. "See you soon, Miss Lacus."

"Shinji," Lacus said.

"Hm?"

"Sometimes, it's alright to run away," Lacus said. "To hide for a while, and think things through. What matters most is that you turn back."

* * *

Misato stepped out of the bathroom, feeling thoroughly refreshed after her shower. She hadn't slept for more than forty-eight hours, but only one hurdle remained before she could finally call it a day. Just a final trip down to the bridge for her rounds, and then Natarle would take over for the night.

The door to her room hissed open, and Misato perked up; there was only one other person aboard the ship with access in here … "Shinji?"

"Yes, Misa — _KYYAAAAAAAAA~!" _Shinji screamed, stumbling backwards in utter shock and crashing into the wall behind.

Misato stood up. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, no, no, Misato, don't come any nearer," Shinji blubbered, trying his utmost best to focus his eyes elsewhere.

"Hm? Why?" Misato frowned, doing a one-eighty on the balls of her feet. "I don't see anything —"

And Misato's towel, the only piece of fabric that stood between her bare body and the world, came loose and fluttered down to the ground. A grin cracked on Misato's face as she lunged, wrapping her arms around Shinji's waist from behind.

"Ooh, I feel something hard down here," Misato cackled. "Shinji, this can't possibly be your first time seeing a naked woman, can it?!"

"S-so what if it is?" Shinji stuttered, face flushing so violently that it looked like he was about to explode. "M-M-Misato, please let me go!"

Misato sighed, and released Shinji, who scampered to one corner of the room. "Sure, sure," she said. She stood up and stretched, wincing as her joints popped loudly. "I'm going to get dressed. If you're going to act scared, then you better not peek."

As she began rummaging in her cupboard Shinji said meekly, "Misato?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you still angry with me?"

There was a long and uncomfortable silence. "Actually," Misato finally spoke up, "I still am."

Shinji hiccoughed.

"To tell you the truth, yesterday I really, really wanted to hit you," Misato said quietly. "I would be lying if I said I'd forgotten all that you said to me."

"I'm …" Shinji said shamefacedly, "I'm sorry."

Misato pulled up the zipper on her uniform, and crossed the room over to Shinji's side, where she squatted down beside him. "You know," she said, "one should never confuse _forgive _with _forget_."

"Misato?"

Ruffling Shinji's hair good-naturedly, Misato said, "One more thing. Whenever you piss somebody off, nobody's going to care whether you apologise or not. What you do after that is what really matters."

Misato stood up. "Just remember what I've ever said to you. True, I'm still young; there are many things in this world that I've yet to experience, but I do think it'd be useful to take what I told you to heart. Alright, Shinji?"

"I'll try my best."

"That's good to hear." Misato smiled. "I'll be going now, but I will be back shortly, so if you don't mind you could wait for me; we can talk more then." She turned.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow morning they are reactivating EVA-00," Misato said. "Ritsuko told me to get you suited up by eight. So … it's a school night tonight, I guess. I think I'll let you decide when we should turn in. So long as you can wake me up by seven the next day, I'm fine with anything."

Shinji could not help but smile. "Sure, Misato."

* * *

Maya sprang from her seat as Misato entered the bridge. "Captain!" she called out shrilly. "You got to see this!"

Sensing the urgency in the lieutenant's voice, Misato darted over. "What is it?"

Maya began typing furiously on her console. "This …" she stuttered. "Captain, we've radio contact."

Everyone whirled around at Maya's proclamation, disbelieving anticipation brimming on their faces. "Who's pinging us?" Misato asked.

"There's no mistaking it," Maya said breathlessly. "It's an encrypted pulse from the Atlantic Federation Navy's 8th Fleet!"

Misato's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" she pressed. "Can you decode it?"

"Give me a moment!" There was an eruption of static, and as everyone winced horribly a heavily distorted voice came over the speakers:

"_This is … [bzzt] 244__th__ Advance Squadron from … [bzzzt] 8__th__ Fleet. _Montgomery _… _Archangel _… reply!"_

The door to the bridge hissed open, and Natarle barged in, panting heavily. "I don't believe this … the 244th Advance Squadron …" she gasped. "It's a force under Admiral Halberton's command!" Admiral Lewis Halberton was leader of the 8th Fleet, one of the smaller divisions of the Atlantic Federation Navy charged with reconnaissance missions and the defence of key military installations in space.

"Then … then …" Overwhelmed with emotion, Misato was at a loss for words. "Help is coming."

Natarle nodded. "At last," she whispered.

A cheer rippled across the bridge, as the realisation hit everyone only just then: they were no longer alone. Arnold and Chandra leapt from their seats and hugged each other, while Maya dived into Shigeru and Makoto's arms, silent tears streaking down her cheeks.

After two long weeks of torment, salvation was finally at hand. Misato slumped down in Maya's vacant seat, running her hands through her hair, her shoulders falling limp.

Natarle came to her side. "You can go rest now," she said with a smile. "You earned it."

Misato rubbed her eyes, which had begun to burn. "I'm still in denial," she said. "Scared, even. Is it normal?"

"I understand how you feel," Natarle said quietly. "After suffering for so long, it really is hard to believe that victory would come so easily. Too easily, in fact. Who knows if the harbingers of karma would come knocking on our doors tomorrow?"

"I don't want to admit it, but we really are on the same wavelength here," Misato said, a tired grin on her face.

"Nevertheless, there's no point in worrying about it," Natarle said. "It's how the world works, after all. If someone gives you something for free, you'd take it, and if that bastard wants you to pay after that, you'll tell him to screw off. Just my opinion."

Misato rose. "I like that," she said. "Well, I'll be leaving everything to you now. Shinji's waiting for me to deflower him."

Natarle made a face. "It wouldn't hurt for you to be more refined, would it?"

Misato chuckled. "It won't, but I'll pass," she said. "It keeps the flirts out this way."

* * *

There was a commotion as Shinji and Sai entered the dining hall. They joined the crowd, and spotted Miriallia. "Milly," Sai asked. "What's going on?"

"Lacus Clyne's having a mini-concert here," Miriallia said excitedly. "One of the kids had actually gone up to her and asked, so there you are."

"Wow," Sai breathed, as the crowd simmered down. Lacus was seated in the centre of the ring formed by the audience, a guitar seated on her lap and her pet robot Haro by her side. "Where's Flay?"

"She said she's not feeling well, so she went back first." Miriallia sighed. "But you know that's not the case. Anyway, I'll tell her what she missed all the same."

Sai sighed. "Flay's mother was killed in a terrorist bombing," he explained to Shinji in a low voice. "Coordinator insurgents, during the Earth Alliance summit in Seoul two years ago. She … hasn't been the same since."

"Before I begin," Lacus said, "I would like to thank Mr Kawashiro Honda, who has kindly donated his guitar for this little performance. Please give him a round of applause."

As the clapping died down Lacus continued, "I haven't sung in quite a while, so I would like to do just three songs for today. The first song is an acoustic version of 'In the Quiet Night', from my debut single."

There was a pause as Lacus cleared her throat. Then her lips parted.

"_In the quiet night, I was waiting for you …"_

If Lacus was an angel, then her voice would be her wings. The pristine quality aroused the words, sending them soaring into the souls of everyone present. Shinji's eyes fluttered close, as he basked in the soothing music.

Everyone was silent when Lacus finished her song. She strummed the final notes of the music, then gave a bow. A thunderous applause followed, one that reverberated deeply throughout the decks of the _Archangel_.

"What a beautiful voice," Sai said softly. "But I sometimes wonder … is that a result of gene manipulation, too?"

Shinji shrugged. "It might be, or it might not be," he said. "But it's still beautiful, isn't it?"

Sai gaped at Shinji for a long moment before smiling sheepishly and saying, "I guess you're right. Come on, let's get some chow before she starts her second song."

* * *

**9 February, CE 71**

"Ah, you're awake!"

Rei's eyes fluttered open, blinking curiously. It was a voice that she was unused to, though it wasn't to say that she did not like it. The voice chimed merrily against the monotonous pallor of the medical unit, resounding with a soothing … familiarity.

As Rei, with evident difficulty, began to rise from her bed, she felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders and hoist her up. "There, there," the voice said. "Today's going to be a long day, so try not to push yourself too much, alright?"

"Thank you," Rei said. "And good morning, Professor Ibuki."

"Shush!" Maya put a finger on Rei's lips. "Professor Akagi will have my head if you keep calling me _Professor_. I've not finished my doctorate, after all. Like I've said before, just 'Maya' will do, OK?"

Rei blinked. "Ma … ya," she said slowly. "I'll try."

Maya smiled. "If you're uncomfortable, 'Ibuki' will do just fine," she said. "Though I'd really prefer it if you use my first name."

"Maya," Rei repeated.

"That's my girl," Maya said happily, as she prepped her equipment. "Now, if you remember, today we'll be reactivating EVA-00. Professor Akagi's been busy since four this morning, so I'm here to do your final checkup in her place, before we head down to the hangar together. Your injuries are almost healed completely, so I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"EVA-00 …" Rei murmured. Involuntarily, she shook.

Noticing Rei's momentary tremble, Maya put down her equipment. Touching Rei's hand, she said softly, "Are you scared?"

"I …" Rei seemed to struggle with words. "I still remember. What happened during EVA-00's first sync test. It was painful."

"You could just say no, Rei. They would postpone the reactivation if you say so."

"I want to," Rei murmured. "But Professor Akagi told me Ikari needs help."

"Ikari Shinji? EVA-01's pilot?"

Rei nodded. "I met him," she said. "He's scared of EVA. If I can, I would like to help him. So that he won't be alone."

"Since you say so, then I won't stop you," Maya said with a resigned smile, despite the worry festering in her heart. "Here, Rei." And she reached out and wrapped her arms around Rei's shoulders.

"I don't get many chances to see you nowadays," Maya whispered gently in Rei's ear, "so I thought I'd tell you something. Whatever you do, I'll always be behind you. Any decision you make, you'll always have my support. OK, Rei?"

Rei gasped in surprise, and for a moment her body went rigid. Then she relaxed, even snuggling into Maya's warm embrace, as a distant memory flitted into her mind. It was all blurry, the images anamorphic, but they all evoked the same emotions.

Joy, serenity … love.

_Mother, _whispered Rei's heart. Why it chose that word, Rei didn't have any idea. But she was sure it was the correct word, a word that resonated in tandem with her memories, as hazy as they might be at that time.

"OK," Rei said. "Thank you, Maya."

* * *

At seven-thirty sharp in the morning, Shinji headed down to lift lobby A, and there, he ran into Rei.

"G-good morning, Ayanami," Shinji said, barely hiding his shock at Rei's injuries, or lack thereof. After a mere two weeks, the only evidence that she had been scathed by ZAFT's onslaught at Heliopolis was a medical eye patch, nothing more. Rei's skin was unblemished, and her limbs seemed fully functional. Something which should had been impossible, given that Shinji saw her in an arm sling only more than a week ago.

"Good morning, Ikari," Rei said. "Are you here for EVA-00's reactivation?"

"Ye-yes," Shinji stammered. "Are you, too?"

With a _ding_, the lift arrived. Rei raised an eyebrow at Shinji before entering.

The doors slid close with a hiss, and the lift began its descent. Inwardly, Shinji cursed his idiocy. "So …" he bumbled on in an effort to conceal his slipup, "are you really OK now?"

"Yes," Rei said. She gave her right arm, previously fractured, a full three-sixty. "See?"

"Ye-yeah." Shinji fidgeted. "Sorry."

"What for?"

What did he apologise for? Shinji realised that he did not know, either; it had come out instinctively. "Never mind," he said quickly.

Silence reigned.

As the minutes dragged, Shinji, who was unable to stand the deafening void any longer, burst out, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what?"

"EVA."

"Why should I be scared?"

"I heard you got hurt in EVA-00's first sync test," Shinji said. "Professor Akagi told me it went berserk, and … and you were injured in the process." He swallowed. "So why are you still going ahead with it? EVA-00's reactivation. What if it goes berserk again?"

—_I can protect you. _Rei's voice, from a time when she was still confined within the _Archangel_'s medical unit, rang in Shinji's mind. If it came down to it, he realised, she wouldn't hesitate to take Shinji's place in EVA-01's Entry Plug. Even if it might cost Rei her life.

Why? Why wasn't she scared of EVA? "Or … or, we could lose to an Angel and die!" Shinji blurted out. _Why?_

Rei was quiet for a short moment. Then, "You're Commander Ikari's son, aren't you?"

Startled, Shinji nodded numbly.

"You don't have faith in your father's work?"

"I …" Faith? How could he? EVA-01, _mankind's final trump card against the Angels, _Ritsuko had said, with an air of knew better, or so he thought. EVA-01, a clunky machine solely dependent on a rudimentary external equipment pack for power, with only five minutes worth of juice in its emergency batteries. Even a GINN could do better than that, he realised.

True, EVA-01 did defeat the first Angel, but it was with absolutely no output from the pilot whatsoever. It had broken free of its reins, and ignited a firestorm of collateral destruction so violent and utter that its memory would be a deep scar in history for eternity.

"Of course not," Shinji said through his teeth. "Not after what I'd been through."

Rei turned.

_Crack. _Boxed-up inside the soundproof walls of the lift, Rei's slap across Shinji's cheeks rang out piercingly. Shinji gasped, as he felt something warm ooze down his face; Rei had drawn blood.

Rei glared at Shinji fiercely, her usually placid features twisted by what could only be deep loathing. He took an involuntary step backwards, quailing under her withering stare.

_Ding. _The lift slowed to a halt, and Rei stormed out even before the doors had opened fully.

* * *

"_Electrifying LCL."_

EVA-00 loomed before Shinji, its solitary eye scowling down upon him as if mirroring its pilot's emotional state of mind.

Rei had been doing her best to completely ignore Shinji ever since their little argument in the lift, going as far as to slam doors in his face. Shinji watched from the relative comfort — and safety — of EVA-01's Entry Plug as Rei prepared to dive into hers from the access point across the hangar cage.

"_EVA-00 is beginning third coolant phase," _Shinji heard from the radio. _"Setting all sync protocols in Cage 6 to the third phase."_

Shinji activated EVA-01's targeting system, focusing the crosshairs on Rei. There was a beep as the onboard computer magnified and identified the target.

Subject: AYANAMI REI

"_Re-configuring INSPIRE operating system to accept Entry Plug data values."_

Shinji started, as a second crosshairs appeared. Subject: IKARI GENDO, read the interface. He zoomed in further, watching with surprise as Rei bounded — _bounded _— from the platform to face Shinji's father.

Rei's lips curved in a serene smile as they moved enthusiastically in conversation. Her eyes sparkled, and Shinji stared, stunned, as Gendo reciprocated her outward and uncharacteristic display of cheeriness with an amicable grin of his own.

Two weeks had passed since Shinji boarded the _Archangel_ and became EVA-01's pilot. In those two weeks, he had never seen Gendo, not even once. And yet with Rei his father had taken his own initiative to approach, converse even.

Shinji watched on, as Rei bade Gendo farewell and climbed into the hatch connected to EVA-00's Entry Plug. A sickly envy washed over him as Gendo waved in reply. He bit his lip, struggling in vain to clamp the poisonous emotions down.

"_All appears well. Pilot Ayanami Rei, please enter your Entry Plug."_

* * *

**10 February, CE 71**

At exactly 4.15am in the wee hours of the morning, under Natarle's command, the _Archangel_ ceased all sapper operations and disembarked from its stationary position above Junius Seven. As she inched ever closer to the Earth-side edge of the debris belt, the radio channel between the _Archangel_ and the 244th Advance Squadron's _Montgomery_ stabilised, allowing for more efficient negotiation.

"Any updates?" Misato asked as she entered the bridge.

"Perfect timing," Natarle shot back. "We have a call from the _Montgomery_."

"I'll take over from here," Misato said. "Thanks for the hard work."

"If you may, let me listen in. I know Major Wilde. He was my mentor when I was a cadet."

Misato shrugged. "Fine by me," she said. "Makoto, put us on with the _Montgomery_, please."

"Montgomery_, _Archangel_." _A stern-looking grey man came up on screen. _"This is Major Bernard Wilde, captain of the _Montgomery_. _Archangel_, do you read me?"_

"Loud and clear," Misato said. "I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, captain of the _Archangel_."

"_Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, eh? No offence, but who the hell are you?"_

"I'm Head of Operations from NERV, an Orb-based paramilitary organisation," Misato said. "Certain special … circumstances have led to me taking over the helm of the _Archangel_ as opposed to whoever you were expecting. Needless to say, it would be easier to explain if we could meet in person."

"_I see," _Major Wilde said. _"No matter; the identity of the _Archangel_'s captain, however dubious it might seem, is the least of our worries right now. Currently, our forces are situated outside the debris belt, at the following coordinates which we are sending to you right now."_

Misato analysed the data. "Based on our current speed," she said, "our ETA would be four days from now, at 3.22am on the fourteenth of February. I regret to say that the _Archangel _presently is unable to increase her speed any further due to the imminent danger posed by the surrounding debris."

"_I understand," _Major Wilde said promptly. _"You seem to be a capable captain, Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi; I shall leave things to you and your crew. The 244__th__ Advance Squadron will rendezvous with the _Archangel _at the aforementioned time and venue. Once you join us, the ship will come under the command of the _Montgomery_, and we will then proceed to the main fleet together."_

"Understood."

Major Wilde nodded. _"You're almost there," _he said. _"I pray for your safe arrival. And lastly, before we log off …"_

The camera shifted, and another person came into view. The man was significantly younger than Major Wilde, and donned a tan suit. _"Greetings,"_ he said pompously. _"I'm George Allster, Secretary of State to the Atlantic Federation."_

Misato perked up at the name. George _Allster_? Now where had she heard the name before?

"_Firstly, as I extend my deepest condolences for the victims of the Heliopolis tragedy, I'd also like to thank you for your efforts in rescuing the surviving civilians," _Allster said with a small smile. _"Oh, and one more thing. I was surprised and happy to see the name of my daughter, Flay Allster, on the list of rescued civilians —"_

There was an uproar at this. Flay Allster, daughter of the Secretary of State to the world's largest superpower?! And to think they let her swab the decks and man dangerous sapper missions! If something terrible ever happened to her …

George Allster leant forward, grinning. _"The thing is, I have not seen my dear daughter ever since winter vacation ended. Really, I'd be more than grateful if I could get a glimpse of her …"_

"_Sir," _Major Wilde chided gently, _"there's no need to worry. You'll be able to see your daughter as soon as the Archangel joins us."_

"Major Wilde, if you don't mind, I would very much like for Mr Allster to be able to meet with his daughter," Misato spoke up. "I understand the risks involved, but rest assured we will remain vigilant."

Major Wilde shrugged. _"If that is the case," _he said with a small smile, _"then by all means proceed. I'm sure Mr Allster here would be happy —"_

"_I'm not happy, I'm fucking overjoyed!" _George Allster boomed with a pat to Major Wilde's shoulder. _"Damn, this meeting's not recorded, is it?"_

Everyone gave a laugh at that. "Mr Allster," Misato spoke up. "I can arrange for Flay and you to meet via video conference this afternoon. But please do not take long; our signal is encrypted, but we really wouldn't want anyone else to pick it up. The _Archangel_ isn't in the most optimistic of situations now, I'm afraid."

"_I understand," _George Allster said gravely. _"Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, is it? From the bottom of my heart, I thank you."_

* * *

**13 February, CE 71**

It was a lazy afternoon, as lazy an afternoon aboard a battleship under hot pursuit cruising straight through thousands of tonnes of clunky space rubbish and warship-sized skeletons could be, with all seeming well, when the sirens began wailing to their hearts' delight.

"What the hell's going on this time?!"

"Radar interference!" Shigeru cried out.

A chill went down Misato's spine. "Switch over to thermal scanners!" she barked.

There was a momentary respite, before … "Captain," Shigeru spoke up, his voice urgent, "I'm putting it up on screen."

Misato gasped as she took in the readings with growing consternation. "It's a full-scale battle," she breathed. "The advance squadron is engaged." With who?

_Rau Le Creuset ..? _Misato thought fleetingly._ We should have shaken him off good during Artemis … right?_

"We have a message from the _Montgomery_!" Maya burst out. "The 244th Advance Squadron is cancelling the rendezvous! The _Archangel_ is to turn around and secure another route to Earth!"

"What is the enemy's fighting strength?" Natarle asked.

"One Nazca-class at yellow 257, mark 402. Together with three GINNs and …" Shigeru's eyes widened. "GAT-X303 Aegis!"

"It can't be!" Misato burst out in shock. "After what EVA-01 did to that unit …"

"There is no mistake," Shigeru said. "It is the only G weapon out in the fray now."

"Rau Le Creuset," Misato spat. "He caught onto us, again."

"What do we do? The advance squadron won't hold against those mobile suits!"

Misato's fists clenched. "The _Montgomery_'s telling us to scarper, but there's no telling that we'd escape unscathed, with the _Archangel_ in such close proximity," she said through gritted teeth. Taking a deep breath, she declared,

"All hands, level one battle stations! The _Archangel_ will proceed to reinforce the advance squadron!"

* * *

And once again, for the fourth time in less than a fortnight, Shinji found himself in his Plug Suit. This time round, however, there were a few differences.

"The EVAs will not sortie this time," Ritsuko instructed in Misato's place. "The _Archangel_ is not under attack. Rather, we're entering the battlefield of our own volition. In such a situation, without specialised anti-personnel combat training, the Evangelions will only be liabilities. Until the situation calls for an EVA sortie, both of you will remain in standby."

"Yes," Shinji replied.

"Yes," replied the girl next to Shinji simultaneously.

Inwardly, Shinji sighed.

With the successful reactivation of the Evangelion Prototype EVA-00, this time, if the need arose, Rei would be launching together with Shinji. Rei, the enigmatic girl with hair the colour of the sky, the same girl who was still trying her utmost best to disregard absolutely Shinji's existence.

Rei rose from her seat. "I'll be heading to EVA-00's Entry Plug now," she said, to no one in particular.

"Alright," Ritsuko said. "Do take note that your EVAs will be connected to the battle network, so you'll be able to receive real-time updates on the situation."

"Yes," Rei answered, before turning to leave the briefing room.

"Ayanami —" Shinji began, only to have the door slam in his face for what was probably the _x_th time that week.

"Oh my," Ritsuko said mildly. "Shinji, did you somehow manage to piss Rei off?"

"I …" Shinji spluttered. "Yeah, I did. But I don't even know how in the first place!"

"Rei's a passive girl," Ritsuko said. "For her to display such anger … I think I might have a rough idea of what happened."

There was a condescending note to Ritsuko's voice, though Shinji put it behind him as he spoke, "I told her I did not trust my father's work, and … and she slapped me."

Ritsuko shook her head. "No wonder. If it was me I'd have slapped you real hard too," she said. There was a pause, before she spoke again, "Ikari Shinji, just let me ask, do you know who the hell you've insulted there?"

Shinji froze. Ritsuko's voice was still even, but there was a deadening quality about it that suggested something dangerous lurking beneath. "I don't know, Professor Akagi," he said, biting his lip.

"Tell me, just what is it that you don't like about the Evangelions?"

"It's unreliable!" Shinji spluttered. "And when the hybrid pack broke down, I'd so little time left to fight the Second Angel —"

"Just EVA-01 alone catalysed the destruction of an entire space colony," Ritsuko cut in abruptly. "Heliopolis, a marvel of space engineering two times larger than a PLANT. In a blinking of an eye, it's gone, just like that. Tell me, can a mobile suit do that? Can that damn Strike even break it in half?"

Shinji swallowed. "No …"

"An EVA's auxiliary battery has enough charge to power five full minutes of combat operation. In life support mode, it can protect its pilot for up to sixteen hours. The GAT-X102 Duel, the most energy-efficient unit of the G weapons, as I've learnt, can only operate in full functionality, Phase Shift and all, for twenty minutes, and stay in life support mode for two hours. Even a lifeboat can do better than that. With its hybrid pack, EVA-01 can stay in the air for 106 minutes."

Ritsuko raised a finger and jabbed it in Shinji's direction. "Your Plug Suit," she said irritably, "is bulletproof, fireproof, and as comfortable as silk. The little backpack hooked on to your spine is a three-in-one package: chute, automatic inflating life jacket, SAFER jet pack. On the other hand, the rubbish that the _other_ pilots use has holes in them. Shinji, a _rat _bit through them. Can you imagine? The same rat would have broken all its teeth if it even tried to violate your Plug Suit."

Ritsuko took out a cigarette, and popped it into her mouth without lighting it. "One last thing," she said. "Shinji, know that I'm telling the truth when I say that you should have been dead. When Heliopolis broke, you were in the middle of an explosion that had as much power as the simultaneous detonation of four nuclear warheads, like the one that destroyed Junius Seven. And yet you are still here, complaining to Rei, of all people, how the Evangelions are second-rate compared to the toy robots OMNI and ZAFT commissioned."

Shinji kept his head down, not daring to even peek at Ritsuko's face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"And it's not only your father's work. Who do you think you are putting down here? I dedicated the better part of my life to the Evangelion program. Your _mother_ was one of the pioneers …"

Noticing Shinji's obvious guilt, Ritsuko relented, and decided to let the matter rest. Instead, she said, "There's a reason why Rei reacted so … vehemently to your little comment, Shinji."

"Huh?"

Ritsuko sighed, a dark look emerging on her face. "Rei looks up to Commander Ikari," she explained. "Well, that sort of reaction is natural, seeing how he saved her skin twice."

"So you're saying … my father … saved Rei's life?"

"Yeah. The first was quite a number of years back, when Rei was still young. There was this paedophile who had been stalking her for weeks, which ended up in one of the most brutal kidnappings I'd ever seen when he murdered her guards in cold blood before grabbing her. Commander Ikari was the one who managed to locate the kidnapper and rescue Rei."

"And the second ..?"

"Was during EVA-00's first sync test, which, as you know, didn't end too well," Ritsuko said promptly, subsequently snapping her cigarette in half. "Ever seen the gloves your father wears all the time? He does that to hide the scars underneath, which he'd gotten when he was so desperately struggling to pry Rei from her Entry Plug." Without waiting for Shinji to reply, she delved into her story.

"On the seventh of December, CE 70, NERV carried out EVA-00's first sync test. If all goes well, it would be our first operational model, ready for deployment against the Angels. But, as you know, it didn't went well.

"Till today, we still don't know what happened. How it happened. Why it happened. Right after we booted the INSPIRE operating system, EVA-00 went berserk. It broke free of its restraints, and immediately pounced on the command centre. Us.

"Thankfully, the battery we used for the test at the time was of a lower power rating, so all we had to do was to unplug EVA-00's umbilical cable and wait for the cells to run dry. For a total of one minute, we watched EVA-00 as it punched and kicked and clawed itself like the insane in the asylum.

"After the minute was up, EVA-00 shut down and we were able to force-eject Rei's Entry Plug. The Entry Plug was overheating, but your father didn't seem to care, and instead rushed down to manually pop open the hatch.

"It was foolhardy, to say the least. We have properly suited emergency teams on standby, but Commander Ikari beat them to Rei. After the incident, he suffered severe third-degree burns on both hands, with irreversible damage to the nerve endings on his right hand. And thus, the basis of the relationship between Ayanami Rei and your father, Commander Ikari Gendo, was formed."

The ship rumbled, and Ritsuko tossed the severed cigarette into the bin. "That's enough storytelling for now," she declared, waving Shinji away. "Now get going to your Entry Plug!"

* * *

"_Electrifying LCL."_

To Shinji's right was a three-dimensional schematic representation of the battle that was currently unfolding between the _Archangel_, the 244th Advance Squadron, and ZAFT. Shinji watched, his heart sinking, as the ZAFT units blazed through the 244th's mobile armour teams at a frighteningly effortless pace.

_They can't win, _Shinji thought. _A mobile armour can't manoeuvre as well as a mobile suit. A GINN can carry more weapons than a Moebius spacecraft. They are losing right from the start, so why are they still fighting?_

_But that's why they built the Strike, isn't it? They didn't want to stop fighting, so they built more weapons. But I don't get it. They have a choice. Unlike me. Why does everyone else want to fight so much?_

Even as an Orb citizen, Shinji was no stranger to the violent tidings of the world. The United Emirates of Orb was a neutral nation, dedicated to the creation of a sanctuary where Naturals and Coordinators could live in harmony with each other. But the journey had not been a smooth one, and even now the country was still plagued by terrorism and racial savagery, partaken by people who either desired the failure of Orb's ambitious vision, or simply regarded their brethren who sought asylum in, or defected to, Orb as recalcitrant traitors.

_I suppose you'd have known by now, Shinji, that I'm a Coordinator, _Misato had told him just a few nights ago. _But that's about it. I'm a human being just like you. I fall ill, I screw up at work, just like anyone else. Worse, I can't even have kids. As a Natural, you sure have the better end of the damn stick, don't you agree?_

Whether you were a Natural or Coordinator really didn't affect your potential for success in life, after all, Shinji knew. _Father's Commander of NERV, while Mother had pioneered the EVAs. _A strange sense of pride filled him just then.

"_The _Law_, _Visage_, have been sunk!"_

Shinji snapped back to reality, his eyes widening at the 3D schematic. The 244th Advance Squadron had comprised of three warships, the _Law_,_ Visage_,and _Montgomery_, escorted by four teams of six mobile armour fighters each. Right now, all that was left were the _Montgomery _and a single fighter. With just three mobile suits and a single warship, the ZAFT force had nearly wiped out the entire squadron.

_They are going to die, _Shinji thought with growing panic. _Why are we still here?! _But even before the question came out he already knew the answer. The Evangelions existed only to destroy the Angels, and, till she landed safely in Orb, to protect the _Archangel_. Shinji himself had only scant knowledge of weapons handling, and had absolutely not a single inkling what offensive tactics entailed. If he even so much as take a step out now he would only be a sitting duck and put everyone's lives in danger.

Shinji jumped in his seat, as a commotion erupted across the radio. He became aware of someone shouting, no, _shrieking_, and a scattering of startled curses and oaths.

"_Tell them," _a familiar voice yelled. _"Tell them NOW. If they do not cease the attack I will KILL HER!"_

A gasped escaped from Shinji's lips. He knew that voice.

It was Flay.

* * *

The door to the _Archangel_'s bridge hissed open, and Misato whirled around as Maya screamed in fright.

Her eyes bulged at the scene before her. "Flay Allster," Misato said slowly, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"

For before Misato was Flay, the expression on her face livid beyond reason, her right arm curled around Lacus Clyne's neck in a restraint.

"Tell them!" Flay exploded, desperation saturating her every word. "Tell those Coordinator bastards! If they fire at Papa's ship … I will kill this girl. I WILL KILL LACUS CLYNE, I SWEAR!"

Rau Le Creuset's Nazca-class ship fired.

The heavy beams slammed into the _Montgomery_'s engines, tearing two ragged holes in her Flay's very eyes, the last surviving ship of the 244th Advance Squadron crumpled, as a blazing fireball blossomed and ripped her and her crew apart into lifeless shreds.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-13: Separate Ways

* * *

A/N: PHASE-13 will be published on** 12 May 2013**.


	13. Separate Ways

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-13: Separate Ways

**13 February, CE 71**

Flay's arms fell limp, as the _Montgomery _dissolved into flame and smoke before her eyes.

Her lip gave a quiver.

"Pa … pa …"

And then she began to scream, a primeval sound that shattered the souls of everyone present. Flay collapsed to the ground, pearly tears streaming down her swollen cheeks, sobbing and wailing, arms wrapped around her shaking frame as if trying to prevent herself from breaking apart into pieces.

Maya rose, and stooped by Flay's side. "Captain," she began.

"Bring her somewhere to rest," Natarle instructed, when Misato made no reply. "Miss Lacus, if you please, we need you to leave the bridge —"

With fists clenched, Misato abruptly shot from her seat. "Hold it," she commanded. "Makoto, go in Maya's place, and bring Allster away. Miss Lacus, I need you to remain in the bridge." Maya was a Coordinator, and having her even lay a finger on Flay was an invitation for disaster.

"What are you doing?" Natarle hissed, but Misato ignored her.

"Give me your headset," Misato snapped at Shigeru, who obliged immediately at the dark look on her face. After entering a few commands into the terminal, she spoke up:

"Attention, all ZAFT forces!"

It was a broadcast made on all available frequencies. Before anyone could react, however, Misato held up a hand, signalling for everyone to hold their tongue.

"This is the _Archangel_, of the Earth Alliance forces," she continued evenly. "Currently, aboard this ship, is Lacus Clyne, daughter of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman, Siegel Clyne!"

"Katsuragi!" Natarle stuttered, the stunned expression on her face mirroring everyone else's. Only Lacus seemed to feel otherwise, the emotions emerging on her face telling only of grief and sorrow.

"We came across Lacus Clyne's lifeboat a few days ago, and brought her under the care of our crew," Misato went on relentlessly. "However, should you decide to attack the _Archangel_ regardless, we shall consider any hostile act carried out against us to be an abandonment of your duty to protect Lacus Clyne.

"We will then address the situation as we see fit!"

And saying that, Misato thrust the headset back in Shigeru's hands. Casting an unfathomable expression in Lacus' direction, she then returned to her post. "Maya," she said softly. "Bring Miss Lacus back to her room, please."

Natarle turned to Misato, as Maya exited the bridge with Lacus by her side. "Do you have any idea what you just did?" she said quietly. "Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi."

"Yes, I do," Misato said simply. "I attempted to hold a fellow Coordinator's life hostage. But we cannot afford to have the _Archangel_ and the EVAs destroyed here. I don't care how much Lacus Clyne, or even you, would hate me after this, but it's the hard truth."

* * *

As he listened to the vehement exchange over the radio, Shinji felt as if someone had flooded his insides with ice.

"Misato," Shinji pleaded, though no one paid heed to his words. "Why are you doing this? Is the ship in trouble? If it is, just send me out. I'll do my job properly, I'll protect the _Archangel_. Just don't hurt Miss Lacus. _Please, _Misato … why are you being so scary all of a sudden?"

"_Are they really holding a rescued civilian hostage?" _Shinji could hear Athrun Zala's enraged bellow over the _Archangel_'s battle network. _"Can your sense of righteousness ally with those cowards, Kira Yamato?!"_

_No, they are not! _"Misato!" Shinji yelled out loud. "Please let EVA-01 launch! I'll follow your orders this time! Just let me out! There's no need to hold anyone hostage!" _Misato is not a coward!_

But then a red DISCONNECTED materialised in front of Shinji, winking mockingly at him; Misato had forcibly cut off their radio connection.

"_Ikari."_ It was Rei, speaking over a video link. _"The enemy has retreated. We can disembark from our EVAs shortly."_

"Why?" Shinji said brokenly. "Why did Misato do that?"

There was a pause before Rei replied, _"Ikari. Do you believe in Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi?"_

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"_Do you?" _Rei pressed.

"I … I do! But —!"

"_Then you shouldn't question her decisions." _And with that said, Rei logged off.

* * *

Makoto accompanied Flay back to her room, trotting behind the distraught girl with awkward steps as she sobbed silently, her tears staining the dress she wore in anticipation of her father's impending arrival.

Halfway down the corridor, however, Flay slowed down to a halt. Makoto went in front, stooping a little and then looking up at Flay. "Is something wrong?" he asked, in a kindly, albeit halting, voice.

A long moment passed before Flay's lips parted. "How could you stand it?" she whispered.

"Huh?"

"Working with Coordinator scum," Flay spat, her features twisting with dark hatred.

Makoto's face hardened. "Don't say that," he said. "Maya and Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi are different. There is no real divide between Naturals and Coordinators in NERV. When you're fighting with your lives on the line against a common enemy, none of those differences matter anymore."

Flay's fists clenched, and she began to tremble, but before she could say anything Maya appeared, having sent Lacus back to her room. "Makoto!" she called out with a wave.

Makoto began beckoning Maya away frantically, but Flay had already made her move. Her fury surging, she sauntered up forth.

"MURDERER!" Flay thundered, shoving Maya against the steel wall with all her might. A look of vindictive pleasure flashed on her face as Maya uttered a pained cry.

Flay then stepped forward, and grabbed Maya's collar. "Damn you all, Coordinators!" she cried out. "Why? WHY?"

"Miss Allster!" Maya spluttered.

"Why do you have to do this to us?" Flay sobbed, shaking Maya hard. "Why can't you be satisfied with just knowing that you're the superior race? Why do you have to go all the way to show that Naturals are vermin?"

Flay was suddenly aware of two pairs of arms prying her away from Maya. "LET ME GO!" she shrieked. "I WANT TO KILL HER!"

"No," Rei said, and slapped Flay's cheek.

Flay reeled away, staggering back against Makoto's chest, staring with bulging eyes at Rei's dispassionate face. "How … how dare you …" she stammered.

"It's not Maya's fault that your father died," Rei continued harshly.

"Pilot Ayanami!" Makoto protested.

Flay glared up at Rei with hateful eyes. "Coordinators are all liars," she raged, struggling against Makoto's restraining arms. "Every single one of them."

Rei stared down at Flay. "How so?" she said.

"Kira himself promised me that everything would be alright!" Flay bellowed, thrashing against Makoto's arms. "He said he'd protect Papa's ship!"

"The pilot of the Strike," Rei said. "I saw him fighting. He was fighting desperately to protect the ship, but we were outnumbered in the end. You shouldn't have pulled that stunt with Lacus Clyne; it made him falter."

"YOU SEE?" Flay yelled, her voice brimming with grief. "He didn't get his priorities right, he never did. And neither did that Katsuragi bitch. She had those two EVAs, and yet she didn't even send one out! Because she knew you'd murder those ZAFT roaches with them!"

"The Evangelions," Rei said, her lips quivering, "are not meant for fighting humans."

"I know that," Flay breathed. "But the Coordinators are not humans. That simplifies matters, doesn't it?"

Rei's fist clenched. "If that's how you think," she said quietly, barely able to control the dark fury welling in her heart, "then I'd rather not have anything to do with you." She spun on her heels, and hurried over to Maya. "Are you all right?" Rei whispered, kneeling by her side.

Just then, Sai rounded into the corridor. _"Flay!" _he shouted, dashing over to her side. Relief obvious on his face, Makoto released Flay, as Sai dropped by her side and grabbed her shoulders.

Shinji stood a short distance away, watching numbly as the violent confrontation unravelled. Then, with a slight jerk of his neck, he turned and stalked off.

* * *

Shinji found Misato back in their room, leaning against her desk and sipping a hot drink from her _One Piece _mug.

Misato turned around, and saw Shinji. "Hiya, Shinji," she said, smiling cheerily as if the events of the previous battle had never transpired in the first place. "You're back. Had your dinner already?"

Head bowed, Shinji did not answer, but said instead, "Who are you? _What _are you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Why did you do that?" Shinji asked pleadingly. "Why did you treat Miss Lacus so horribly? You're a Coordinator, just like her, are you not?"

Misato gaped at Shinji for a long moment, the hurt obvious in her eyes. "Shinji," she murmured in the end. "What do you see me as? A human, or a Coordinator?"

Shinji took a step back. "What … what do you mean?"

Misato put down her mug. "Does me being a Coordinator matter that much to you?" she said softly. "After those horrific battles with the Angels, hasn't your worldview widened even one bit?"

"That's not what I mean, Misato —"

"Then what, Shinji?"

"What you did, earlier during the battle!" Shinji burst out. "Why did you do that? I need to ask, because you're scaring me!"

Realisation hitting her, Misato left her desk, and went up to Shinji. "Why I did what I did," she said quietly, "why I took Lacus Clyne hostage … is because I'm weak. I was no longer able to protect even the _Archangel_, so I went ahead and took the last resort. I'll probably regret the decision I made for the rest of my life, but what's done cannot be undone."

Shinji looked up; there was a tear sparkling in Misato's eye. He then remembered Lacus' words.

—_As a commander … it gets ten times more frightening, knowing that the lives of your men are in your hands._

"I'm … I'm sorry, Misato," he said, shame burning his cheeks.

Misato took Shinji's hand. "Remember what I said about apologising?"

Shinji started. Then, as realisation hit him, he gave a small smile. "Misato," he said, making amends. "It … it doesn't matter whether you're a Coordinator or not."

The tear flowed from Misato's eye, trickling down her cheek and tumbling onto the ground. "Shinji, you're a Natural, but I never once regarded you in that light."

It was true, Shinji knew. Back when they first met, Misato had forced him into EVA-01. And then she brought him under her care, and fed and took care of him. Later she yelled at him, and even nearly hit him. All that had happened because she saw him as an equal, as a human being, worthy of her anger, her concern.

Shinji nodded his head. "You're Misato," he said, "and I am Shinji. That's all there ever is."

"Thank you, Shinji," Misato said, her grip on Shinji's hand tightening. "Thank you."

* * *

**14 February, CE 71**

That night, Shinji couldn't sleep. He was never further away from slumber than when his watch beeped midnight and he suddenly remembered that it was fourteenth of February, one year after the Bloody Valentine tragedy that brought Junius Seven to ruin, and that they had just plundered its depths for water and supplies just a week ago. Giving up all endeavours to fall asleep entirely, Shinji swung his legs off his bed and put on his shoes.

Beside him, Misato was snoring, but when Shinji saw the contorted expression on her face he realised that her sleep was a fitful one. He thought about waking her up, but finally decided that a restless sleep was still better no sleep at all. The _Archangel_ was still not out of the woods just yet, and if Rau Le Creuset or an Angel was going to attack them again then Misato was going to need all the rest she could get.

Shinji crept towards the door, his mind set on a nightly walk in the vicinity to calm his hyperactive mind down. All attempts at stealth, however, were put to naught when he snubbed his toe against the edge of his wardrobe.

"Ah, ah, OUCH!" he burst out.

There was a rustle behind, and turning around with a sheepish look on his face, Shinji saw that Misato was up, presumably jolted awake by his outburst.

"Go-go-going somewhere, Shinji?" Misato said blearily, rubbing her eyes and giving a wide yawn.

"I'm sorry!" Shinji said frantically. "Did I wake you up?"

"Actually, you did, teeheehee." Misato gave a sleepy giggle. "But no matter; I was having a nightmare. Where are you going at this time of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep," Shinji confessed. "I thought taking a walk might help."

"In that case, mind if I join you?"

"Aren't you tired?"

"Yeah, dreadfully so." Misato yawned again. "But I don't think I want to revisit Dreamland just yet. Wait for me outside; I'll be right after you in a jiffy, once I get dressed."

She emerged five minutes later, NERV jacket over a new tank top. "Shall we?" she asked.

Shinji nodded his head, and they began walking. At this hour, the lights were dimmed and the corridors silent. Slowly, Shinji felt himself relax, the tension accumulated from the day before ebbing away.

Then he jumped, as Misato's fingers entwined around his.

"Oops, sorry," Misato said with a chuckle. "I must have startled you."

"No, no, it's OK," Shinji muttered, flushing. "I was just … surprised."

"I hope you don't mind."

"I don't, really," Shinji said shyly. Misato's fingers were smooth, and warm. As much as he dared to, Shinji squeezed, yearning, searching, for more of the gentle warmth, and his heart leapt when Misato's hand clenched back in response.

"Please don't misunderstand," Misato said with a chuckle. "For your info, I'm a married woman, so there's no need to be so shy."

Shinji's cast a surprised look towards Misato. "You're married?"

Misato gave a laugh. "You looked so shocked. Sure I am. Have you not seen the photos on my desk?"

"I … I've never been to your desk."

"Well, that's not acceptable!" Misato exclaimed. "After more than two weeks here, surely you'd have explored every nook and cranny in your room by now?!"

"No, I …"

Misato grinned, then held up her free hand, the glint of the silver band wound round her fourth finger catching Shinji's eye. "Years ago," she said, "I committed the ultimate blasphemy in the eyes of my fellow Coordinators. I married a Natural."

"You … what?"

"To quote PLANT Supreme Council chairman wannabe Patrick Zala, simply put, I chose a member of a 'grossly inferior sub-species of the glorious human race' as my lifelong partner." Misato laughed. "Our marriage had caused quite the uproar, and several close friends and relatives actually cut off ties with the both of us for their own perceived notions of the greater good. Whatever. Ritsuko didn't give a damn who I married, and so did both of our parents. All was well.

"Our relationship hadn't always been that smooth, though," Misato continued. "On my first day of work at NERV, he came up to me and challenged me to a judo competition. He told me he was irritated with my bragging, so he wanted to put me in my place. I accepted, if only to put _him_ in _his_ place. It sounds unbelievable, but he floored me, literally."

"How?"

"Through sheer practice, believe it or not. Both of us were black belts, but that bozo had perfect technique, whereas I was slower and clumsier after a long lull in my training regimen. Anyway, my point is, it really doesn't matter if you're a Coordinator or not. If you put in enough effort, even a Natural could surpass a Coordinator. Working in NERV was a humbling experience for me. I've seen Naturals with minds brighter than their Coordinator counterparts, security troopers more tenacious and resilient than even the aces from ZAFT.

"Many first-generation Coordinators were created with specific genetic enhancements," Misato explained, "and these enhancements were passed on to their children. One Coordinator might possess superior intelligence, but he might also end up frail and pathetic because his parents didn't bother to tweak his immune system and physical. And vice versa. The only thing all Coordinators have in common is that we're slightly more durable than our Natural counterparts. My point being, Shinji, is that even though you're a Natural, never, ever, feel that you're inferior because of your genetic heritage. You're a Natural because your parents love you the way you are, simple as that."

Shinji nodded. "I understand."

"So now you know how I was able make the decision to hold Miss Lacus hostage," Misato said tightly. "The line between Naturals and Coordinators had never been clear to me right from the start. I only saw people that I had to protect, no matter what happens."

"You had no choice," Shinji said sincerely. "I really do understand."

"And the thing is, Lacus does, too," Misato said with a sigh. "Which makes me all the guiltier."

They turned a corner. Almost immediately, Misato's phone started vibrating, _Brr brr brr_. She froze, staring at her side pocket as if there was a bomb in there.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath as she fished out her Blackberry. "Maya, what is it?"

"_Captain, the Strike is launching!" _Maya exclaimed breathlessly. _"Lieutenant Badgiruel asked if you've authorised it."_

"I certainly did not!" Misato shot back. "We're not under attack, are we? Lock the launch gates down; I will be over in five."

"_On it." _The call disconnected.

"What is it?" Shinji asked with growing trepidation. _An Angel ..?_

"A mutiny," Misato seethed. "I need to head over to the bridge right now. In the meantime, Shinji, head over to the hangar, suit up, and join Rei in standby. Mu and Murrue will be with you two shortly. Now go. I will brief everyone later."

Not daring to ask any more questions, Shinji gave a quick nod and rushed off.

Misato turned in the opposite direction, heading straight back to her room to retrieve her uniform. Less than four minutes later, she barged into the bridge, face as black as thunderclouds. "What the hell is going on?!" she bellowed as she stormed to her post.

"Kira Yamato is breaking Lacus Clyne out," Natarle answered through her teeth. "We've locked the launch gates, as you've ordered, but then that nutcase's bent on playing hero."

"I understand." Misato brought up her terminal, connecting it to the Strike's communications port. "Kira Yamato. What in the world are you trying to do here?"

Kira's face appeared on the screen, as with Lacus' awkwardly positioned body, sprawled out all over Kira's laps in a bulky all-environment suit. _"Please, Misato," _he said pleadingly. _"I don't mean anyone harm. I just want to bring Miss Lacus back home. It isn't right to keep her aboard the _Archangel _like this."_

"Fine, you think we aren't treating Miss Lacus well enough," Misato said. "So tell me your plan. Make me change my mind."

"_P … Plan?"_

"Yeah, plan. Do you need me to spell the word out for you?" Misato said flatly. "You have twenty seconds, after which I'll then exercise my clout as captain of the _Archangel_ to completely disregard any half-assed response you'd care to make and forcibly pry you out of your mobile suit, with the EVAs if I deem necessary."

"_I …" _Kira hesitated, then spoke, _"I will pilot the Strike to within closer proximity of Rau Le Creuset's Nazca-class battleship, after which I'd demand to see the Aegis and its pilot."_

It made sense. The pilot of the Aegis, Misato knew from her review of the battle and communications logs from the earlier battles, was both Kira's childhood friend and Lacus' fiancé. With someone familiar at hand, things would probably go smoother. "You'd hand Miss Lacus over, then?" she said.

"_Yes, I will."_

"You sure that you won't be shot down on sight?" Misato snapped. "Or the Aegis' pilot wouldn't double-cross you?"

"_He won't!" _Kira countered forcefully. _"Not to me!"_

Misato sighed, kneading her temples, which had begun to throb. "Is he insane," Natarle remarked from her post, "or just plain stupid?"

"Both," Misato grunted. "He and Shinji are very much alike in that way."

The screen flickered off, as the connection to the Strike was cut abruptly. "Captain," Maya cried out. "The launch gates are opening; the locks are being overridden externally!"

"Damn Kira and his stooges," Misato growled. "They must have used the emergency switches. Shinji! Are you in EVA-01 now?"

"_Yes, Misato. What's happening?"_

"Kira is launching in the Strike now," Misato explained. "He's pulled himself off the battle network, so we can't contact him for now. I need you to call him, and get him to stop, and let Lacus Clyne ride in EVA-01."

"What do you want to do?" Natarle asked.

"Best to get this over and done with ASAP," Misato muttered. "We're going ahead with that nutcase's plans, whether we like it or not. I'll be transferring Lacus Clyne over to EVA-01. It'd be safer this way."

Natarle nodded. "I understand," she said. "EVA-00 and MA-1 have been prepped and ready for launch. I assume you'd be having a few words with those kids after this?"

"Oh, yes, definitely," Misato said, lip curling. "Have Rei and MA-1 on standby. Meanwhile, _Archangel_ will give her fullest support to the Strike and EVA-01 in this upcoming operation. Cannons in, pods closed, but the ship shall remain at level two battle stations. Best to be prepared for all eventualities."

* * *

Lacus yelped out loud as she tumbled into the flooded Entry Plug. Gagging, she began thrashing about, struggling to flip her suit's visor shut until Shinji reached out and grabbed her hands.

"Don't worry, Miss Lacus!" Shinji said loudly in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. "Just breathe in the LCL; it will deliver oxygen straight to your lungs. You won't drown, trust me."

And trust Shinji Lacus did. Forcing herself to keep still, she took a breath, retching as the bitter taste of iron filled her mouth. "This LCL tastes horrible," she said miserably after a while.

"I'm sorry," Shinji said. "But we don't know what might happen later, so we can't afford to waste the air in your tank."

"I understand," Lacus said with a small smile.

"_Electrifying LCL."_

Lacus gasped, wonder on her face as the cold steel interior of the Entry Plug dissolved, replaced by a stunning 360-degree vista digitally construed by the cameras embedded in EVA-01's armour and eyes, giving one the illusion of hovering in mid-air, in the middle of the _Archangel_'s cavernous hangar. "Amazing," she gushed. "It feels like I'm floating."

EVA-01's launch platform became flush with the runway, and Maya's voice resonated over the radio, _"Systems all green. Evangelion Test-type EVA-01, you're clear for launch."_

"_Shinji," _Misato spoke. _"Are you ready?"_

Shinji's head dipped. "Evangelion EVA-01," he enunciated, "launching!"

The linear catapult activated, propelling EVA-01 out into deep space. Gasping, Lacus' hands flew to her lips, as she was flung out into a boundless ocean of stars, all of them winking merrily in tandem with one another. "It's so beautiful," she whispered in an awestruck voice.

"It is," Shinji agreed.

Kira had already launched, and was ahead. Shinji kick-started EVA-01's hybrid pack, and surged forward to the Strike's starboard side.

"_Everything OK there, Shinji?" _Kira asked, and EVA-01 raised a thumbs-up in reply.

"I'm fine here," Lacus piped up. "Kira, thank you for everything."

Kira gave a small smile. _"You're welcome," _he said.

Misato's face flashed into view. _"Shinji, Kira, listen up," _she said in a no-nonsense voice. _"Here's how we will go about this god-forsaken mission. The _Archangel_ will provide support for this operation, on the condition that I will handle all negotiations from hence forth. Shinji, your role will be to facilitate Lacus Clyne's transfer from EVA-01 to the GAT-X303 Aegis. As for Kira, all you need to do is look dangerous. Hell, you don't even need to think. Simple enough, right?"_

"_Yes," _Kira said, wincing at Misato's not-so-subtle jab.

"_Good. We will be in within range of the Rau Le Creuset's scanners in ten. I don't think I need to remind you both anymore, but all the same, be vigilant."_

* * *

Lacus was the first to break what had been at least three minutes of silence. "You look troubled, Shinji," she said. "What's the matter?"

"No-nothing, really," Shinji muttered.

"Is that so?" Lacus peered up at Shinji's eyes, and it was then that everything came spilling out.

"You're right, Miss Lacus," Shinji blurted out, "It is the unknown I fear. Every time I pilot EVA, I never know what might happen next." His breath hitched.

"I don't want to feel so scared anymore," he continued. "I have no choice but to continue be EVA-01's pilot, but I can't do anything if I feel so scared every time."

Lacus thought for a while before saying, "When we humans are driven into a corner, we'd have no choice but to fight back. Sometimes, we'd fight despite our fear, because the alternative is simply too terrible. Our homes might get trampled on. Our loved ones might suffer, if we don't fight." She paused.

"Shinji, do you have anyone you'd fight for? To protect?"

"To … protect?"

"Yes." Lacus nodded her head. "I saw you and Kira fight against that Angel while I was still stranded above Junius Seven. The only reason you had fought so hard despite your fear … was that you'd something, or someone, you wanted to protect, I believe."

"I'm not as good as you say," Shinji admitted, looking away. "I had fought on only because I'd messed up the operation. I just wanted to prove myself. Misato had told me to retreat, but I did not listen to her. I charged ahead … and put everyone in danger."

"Perhaps you were foolhardy then, but now that you've come to terms with the fact that there are people who care about you, and who you care about, you wouldn't be so reckless in the future," Lacus said gently. "In the face of fear, these people will inspire strength to soldier on. Confronted with temptation, these people will be the ones who anchor you to reality."

Biting his lip, Shinji thought about what Lacus had said. _People who care about you, and who you care about … _Did such people exist? The answer was as clear as day.

Lacus cocked her head. "Shinji?"

"You're right, Miss Lacus," Shinji said. "There are people that care about me." _Even if I'm not worth it …_

"The next time you pilot the Evangelion again, think about them," Lacus said. "It is what my father taught me, which I in turn told Athrun, and then you."

Shinji's blood froze at Lacus' last sentence. "Athrun?" he whispered, barely beginning to believe his ears. "Athrun Zala?"

"Yes, that's him," Lacus said, a perturbed expression on her face. "Athrun, pilot for ZAFT of the GAT-X303 Aegis, and the person I'll eventually marry. Coincidentally, he's the person Kira is going to meet later. What's the matter?"

Shinji's hands trembled, as the memories of an earlier battle came flooding back. "Athrun Zala's the person you're going to marry?" he said choked. "I … I almost killed him. I couldn't control EVA, and I almost killed him."

Lacus was silent for a while. "But you didn't do it in the end, did you?" she then said. "Athrun's alive. That's all that matters."

"But ..!" Shinji spluttered, eyes scrunching up. "I nearly killed him! I … why aren't you angry?"

"Do you want me to be angry?" Lacus asked, eyes twinkling.

"No, I don't," Shinji said. "But why? Don't you feel … anything?"

"I suppose it's mostly because I wasn't present at hand when you and Athrun were fighting," Lacus said earnestly. "Add the fact that Athrun's still thankfully alive and well … I can't say it's possible for me to grasp the full gravity of the situation, that he barely escaped death by your hands."

Shinji's head bowed. "I'm sorry," he breathed.

"I believe," Lacus continued, a thoughtful expression on her face, "that my reaction would be completely different if, just if, Athrun … died. I'm human, after all. Even if it's illogical to do so, I'd blame you, for as long as I live."

At the tormented expression on Shinji's face, Lacus reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Even so," she said, "the reality is that you did not kill Athrun Zala. Right before you hit the path of no return, you managed to turn around. And for that, I'm glad."

Gripping the EVA's controls so tight that his knuckles ached, Shinji murmured, "I still can't pilot EVA properly … I don't know when I might lose control again … I don't know …"

"Then think about the lives you'd destroy once you crossed the line," Lacus said evenly. "Not only Athrun's, but his father's too, when he finds out that his only son had died in battle. Mine, when all that's left of my dearest friend is a tombstone. Kira. And yours, too. Because the guilt will be so painful you'd wish to cease living. Both Kira and you are immensely good people, and that makes it all the more unbearable."

Misato's voice crackled over the radio, cutting into their conversation.

"_One minute to contact. Shinji, Kira, get ready."_

Shinji looked up at Lacus, as she smiled at him, a soothing warmth emanating from her like the gentle rays of the morning sun. Her words bore no blame, no anger; they were just what Lacus had meant them to be: kind advice for the astray soul.

Eyes blazing, Lacus looked up into the stark infinity of space. "I will fight, too," she said determinedly. "I will fight, so that one day, Kira and you won't have to fight anymore."

* * *

Contact.

"Captain, we're within range of the Nazca-class' scanners," warned Maya.

"Then it is time," Misato said simply. "Open up the radio on all available frequencies."

Once that was done, Misato manipulated the controls on her touchscreen console. "This is the _Archangel_," she spoke clearly. "We do not come with hostile intentions." She paused, waiting for a reply.

"Captain," Shigeru announced. "The Nazca-class is requesting radio contact at the following channel. Sound only."

"Accept it."

A rough voice then resounded through the radio:

"_This is Frederick Ades, captain of the _Vesalius_._ Archangel_, what are your intentions?"_

Misato took a deep breath. "We've come not for war, but to return Lacus Clyne," she said. "On the following conditions. You shall send a single representative amongst your men to receive Lacus Clyne at the designated coordinates, which we will send to you shortly. Specifically, Athrun Zala, pilot of the GAT-X303 Aegis."

"_You want Athrun Zala, one of our ace pilots," _Captain Ades said coldly._ "Give me one reason why I should agree to subject him to such danger."_

Misato shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not too sure myself," she said. "It was a request put forth by one of our pilots, who, if you ask me, has a screw loose. Nevertheless, rest assured that he will not be in any danger whatsoever. You have my word."

"_This, from the same person who held an innocent civilian hostage?"_

"Well, you can just say no," Misato said coolly, "and we will leave. Attack us when our back is turned, and sink us while you're at it, fine by me. Let it be known that I won't even bother holding anyone hostage from then on."

There was a pause. _"We shall proceed with the transfer, in accordance with the condition set," _Ades then said mechanically.

"One more thing. During the transfer, we request that the distance between the _a__rchangel_ and your craft be maintained at exactly 6.77 kilometres. In the event that your craft or any of your mobile suits, with the Aegis being the only exception, trespass beyond the specified range, we will not hesitate to retrieve Lacus Clyne."

With a flourish, Misato then cut off the connection before Ades could reply.

* * *

As the Aegis neared the Strike and EVA-01, Kira brandished his beam rifle and aimed the barrel in the direction of the Aegis' headpiece.

"Kira?" Shinji said, eyeing the weapon nervously.

"Don't worry," Kira said reassuringly. "The rifle's not charged."

Shinji's shoulders sagged visibly.

Ten metres before the Strike, the Aegis grinded to a halt, its vernier rockets whining in protest. "Athrun Zala?" Kira began.

"_Yes, that's right," _came Athrun Zala's voice over the radio.

Kira swallowed. "Athrun," he then said, "please open your cockpit!"

Athrun, however, did not comply. Instead, he pulled out his own rifle, and pointed it in EVA-01's direction. _"Pilot of the unidentified mobile suit,"_ he thundered, _"show yourself!"_

"Athrun —"

"_You dare accuse me of destroying Heliopolis, Kira Yamato?!" _Athrun roared, his voice trembling with sheer fury. _"When one of the culprits is just right beside you? When the Natural scum went and deployed those weapons of mass destruction right in front of your eyes?"_

"It wasn't him!" Kira yelled desperately. "Please, Athrun, let me explain —"

"_Explain what?" _Athrun shouted, his voice wild. _"Why you would side with the Naturals and fight me, your old friend? Is that it?!"_

Unable to control herself any longer, Lacus lurched forward. "Athrun!" she spoke firmly, her voice ringing out loud over the radio. "It's me, Lacus."

"_Lacus? Where are you?"_

"I'm here," Lacus replied in a gentler voice. "In front of you, inside the Evangelion."

"_Evan … gelion?"_

"Yes, Athrun. The Evangelion, Heliopolis' alleged destroyer. It might look scary, but I'm as safe as I can possibly be right now. So please, Kira, Athrun, both of you, put down your weapons."

Slowly, and hesitatingly, the Strike and Aegis lowered their rifles. The cockpit hatch of the Aegis opened up, and Athrun stepped out, arms raised.

Kira did the same, and the two friends stared down at each other, the animosity and weariness from the earlier battles not entirely gone from their faces.

Shinji turned to Lacus. "I'm going to eject the Entry Plug," he said. "Once that is done, Kira will guide you out."

Lacus smiled. "I understand," she said. "Shinji, thank you so much for everything."

"It's nothing —" The words became strangled at Shinji's suddenly constricted throat as Lacus leant forward and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Lacus then broke away from the pilot's seat, and kicked off to the surface. Shinji stared at her departing figure, face flushing a deep tomato red.

Instinctively, he cried out, "M-M-Miss Lacus!"

Anchoring herself onto a handlebar just below the hatch, Lacus then turned around.

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Th-thank you, too!" Shinji blurted out. "For helping me out over the past few days. Thank you!"

Lacus flushed slightly. "It was a pleasure, Shinji," she said. "Truly, it is."

Her face broke the surface of the LCL, and Lacus flipped the visor of her suit down. The hatch to the Entry Plug slid open, and Kira's head popped through. "Here," he said, stretching out his hand.

Lacus' fingers wrapped around Kira's, and he hauled her through the hatch out of the Entry Plug. One second later, the hatch slid shut.

Shinji watched, as Lacus operated her suit's SAFER propulsion system expertly to traverse the space between EVA-01 and the Aegis. Athrun took her hands, as she landed nimbly on the edge of the Aegis' hatch.

"Hello there, Athrun," Lacus said cheerfully. "It's been a long while."

Athrun cast a glare in EVA-01's direction. "Were you in that … thing all this while?"

"Evangelion," Lacus corrected. "Yes, its pilot has graciously allowed me to ride in his unit, while we had to get over the … formalities. Athrun, he saved my life. There's no need to be scared."

"I'm not scared!" Athrun protested. "Lacus, that _Evangelion_ is dangerous —"

"Of course it is," Lacus said with a sad smile. "It is a weapon, after all. Later, when we get back, I'll tell you the story of how the Evangelion and its pilot saved the day together with Kira. It is quite the incredible tale, but I promise that you'll be hooked."

At the mention of Kira's name, Athrun turned to face the Strike.

"Kira!" he yelled. "You come, too!"

Kira jerked up at Athrun's vehement exclamation, face frozen in a stunned expression.

"There's no reason why you should remain with the Naturals!" Athrun continued. "I'll bring you back to PLANT with Lacus! I'll help you, in every way I can! If you need a home, I'll help you find one! If you want to return to Orb, I'll help you get the earliest shuttle back! You're a Coordinator, everyone will welcome you with open arms, trust me. Just come with me!"

Kira's grip on the Strike's controls tightened, as he struggled with himself.

It was simple. All he had to do was leave the Strike. ZAFT needed the Strike, to complete its technical expertise on the five G weapon prototypes. But all Athrun didn't need all that. He only wanted Kira to stop fighting, and for himself to stop fighting Kira.

Kira had known Athrun since young; the young pilot was honest to a fault, and never went back on his word. He had not an inkling of doubt that once he left the _Archangel _and boarded the _Vesalius_, Athrun would do everything in his power, even sacrifice his career prospects in ZAFT, to ensure Kira was free of any incrimination. Nobody would ever know that he was the pilot of the Strike, that he had ended the lives of several of ZAFT's best pilots, and he would finally be able to leave the battlefield.

But _could _he do it? Kira had never been more tempted in his life, but there was something holding him back.

"Believe me," Kira said, close to tears. "I don't want to fight you. But there are people aboard the _Archangel_ that I need to protect. I have friends on that ship!"

More than that, because after seeing how the first Angel had laid waste to Heliopolis, having participated in the battle against the Second, and witnessing the extreme measures the crew of the _Archangel _took just to protect the ship and the Evangelions, the mechanics of the world were no longer clear to Kira. The ongoing world war between the Naturals and Coordinators seemed petty as compared to the desperate battles the _Archangel_ and her crew were fighting now.

Humanity's survival was at stake here, Kira realised. How could he ever live with himself, then, if he walked out on everyone now?

Slowly, but surely, the Strike began drifting further away from the Aegis.

_I still have time, _Kira thought. _I can put all the pain, all the battles, behind me. All I need to do is take one step. Just one step … _But he did not budge an inch from his seat.

Athrun clenched his fists. "Then … then I've got no choice," he said wretchedly, voice shaking with every syllable. "The next time we meet, Kira, will be in battle! And then, I will personally defeat you!"

Kira cringed in his seat at Athrun's words. But he told himself, repeatedly, _Athrun still doesn't know. He doesn't know anything about the Angels, that's why he said all that. Once the truth come to light, he will understand … right?_

He declared, "The same goes for me!" Saying that, Kira closed the Strike's cockpit hatch. "Shinji, let's go."

Shinji turned to look back at the Aegis one last time, and saw Lacus gazing in their direction forlornly.

—_I will fight, too. I will fight, so that one day, Kira and you won't have to fight anymore._

* * *

Back aboard the _Archangel_, sirens had begun to wail; as expected, Rau Le Creuset was attempting a double-cross.

"Captain, the _Vesalius _is restarting her engines," Makoto reported. "Beam cannons are powering up!"

"I know, don't tear your hair over it," Misato muttered. Then, she declared, "Let's end this once and for all! Aim Lohengrins One and Two!"

Misato then caught sight of a twinkle from the faint shape in the distance that was the Nazca-class battleship, _Vesalius_; it was the flash from a CGUE launching from the ship's linear catapult, and nobody had any doubt as to who had just entered the fray. The _Vesalius _held only a single CGUE unit, which in turn had only one pilot to itself. Rau Le Creuset, it seemed, was himself itching for some action.

"Shinji, Kira," Misato said. "Rau Le Creuset is heading your way. His skills are on a totally different level from the Aegis, so be careful. We'll be with you shortly —"

"_That won't be necessary." _Everyone whirled around in astonishment, as Lacus' voice resounded over the radio. _"_Archangel_, _Vesalius_, do you hear me? I am Lacus Clyne, broadcasting from the GAT-X303 Aegis. Please reply immediately."_

"Crystal, Miss Lacus," Misato answered, bewildered.

"_Please stop the armed engagement at once!" _Lacus declared. _"As a representative of the Junius Seven memorial delegation, and of PLANT's peace efforts, I request, no, _order_, everyone in the vicinity to drop their arms!"_

"Well, I'd be glad to," Misato said. To prove her point, she rose, announcing, "Withdraw Lohengrin! _Archangel_, stand down to level three battle stations!"

"Katsuragi!" Natarle protested, the expression on her face questioning Misato's rationality.

"It'll be alright, trust me," Misato said tightly. The Junius Seven memorial delegation, she had learnt, held much more power than everyone could see at first glance. Being endorsed by Siegel Clyne, chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council — the Coordinators' equivalent of a sovereign president — anything that members of the Junius Seven initiative said goes. With Lacus' declaration, Rau Le Creuset would have to think twice before continuing his assault, if he wanted to remain in ZAFT as commander, that is.

"_Commander Rau Le Creuset," _Lacus continued on relentlessly when there was no response from either the CGUE or _Vesalius_, _"the _Archangel_ has expressed their desire to withdraw from further armed conflict. Do you honestly wish to turn this place into a battlefield despite my best intentions?"_

The CGUE faltered in its advance. And though its pilot made no reply, the mobile suit made an about turn after a few seconds' hesitation. As the _Vesalius _opened up her launch shafts to intercept the returning units, Lacus logged off.

"She's gone," Maya said wistfully. "We didn't even get a chance to thank her."

"She didn't do all that just for us, did she?" Misato shrugged. "As a neutral party, she couldn't afford to show favouritism. Being a diplomat sure is tough …"

* * *

From the seat of his CGUE unit, Rau Le Creuset watched as the Aegis, Strike and EVA-01 returned to their respective motherships.

His lip curled, as he recalled the humiliation Lacus Clyne had put him through. How _dare _she, an oblivious civilian, question the tactical decisions of a full-fledged military commander? It was absolutely loathsome, the way she abused her fame to parrot her far-fetched ideals of peace and coexistence.

Looking back at the diminishing ribbon of light that was the _Archangel_, Rau Le Creuset felt his temper quell down. Here, before him, was a facet of SEELE's plans that were slowly coming to fruition. By forcibly mingling NERV and OMNI Enforcer together, thereby exposing the Evangelions to the world, via the covert transfer of ownership of the _Archangel_ to the Earth Alliance, SEELE would finally have the justification it needed to suppress Ikari Gendo and his secret plans.

The days ahead would be busier than ever. As much as he wanted to, Rau Le Creuset would be hard pressed for time to even begin his vendetta against the goddamned Clyne faction, as everyone else in the PLANT Supreme Council had come to refer to the detestable clan of moderates who, till now, were still hesitant to move against the Earth Alliance.

He would deal with them, when the time came. But that would come later. For now, he would devote himself to the master plan. Petty feuds took second place to the grand schemes SEELE had mapped out for the continuity of the human race.

Instrumentality came above all.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-14: Hikari's Musketeers

* * *

A/N: PHASE-14 will be published on **26 May 2013**.


	14. Hikari's Musketeers

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-14: Hikari's Musketeers

**5 June, CE 62 to 1 April, CE 70**

When he was six, Shinji's mother, Ikari Yui, passed away. His recollection of the incident, however traumatising it had been, had been fuzzy and vague. The events that had transpired during the funeral and thereafter, on the other hand, remained clear as day even till now.

Most thankfully, Shinji had not been transferred to state care. In the years following Second Impact, the government, as overwhelmed as it had been with situation control and reconstruction work, had lost many of its state orphans to human trafficking via corrupted officials. A mere half month after Yui's passing, Shinji was evicted out of their apartment in the Island 3-type colony, Mendel, and deported straight to the Orb mainland, where he resided in the Mihashira capital city for eight years before moving to Onogoro Island in CE 70.

After the funeral, Shinji had discovered that he had inherited a substantial amount of money, together with the two apartments that Yui had owned back at Orb. Because he had still been a minor then, the money was aggregated in a trust fund, and the properties transferred under a mysterious 'Rokubungi Gendo', whom Shinji had never caught even a glimpse. The money, numbering in the tens of millions of yen, accumulated during Yui's stint at NERV's predecessor, Gehirn, would then be deposited into Shinji's account in the form of a rather bloated monthly allowance until he came of age at twenty-one, when henceforth he would be granted access to the remainder of the inheritance money.

After Yui's death, Shinji's legal and practical needs had been administered by a slew of staff from Gehirn, later NERV, who had been appointed as his ad-hoc guardians. Ultimately, however, babysitting was not what they signed on to Gehirn's, later NERV, payroll for. With the caretakers rotating on a regular basis and never taking up the bothersome responsibility more than twice, Shinji had seen many people from all walks of life; there were lawyers, engineers, researchers, even soldiers, and what those drastically different groups of people had in common was that they had absolutely no interest in Shinji's life whatsoever.

Having no father for as long as he remembered, losing Yui, who was by far the only family Shinji had ever known, took a far larger toll on him than anyone had ever imagined, or cared to notice. He had never gone astray, because no one in school or elsewhere paid any heed to him. All that his classmates remembered about Ikari Shinji, was that he had been the boy who had never turned up for any parent-teacher meetings, never talked, and never made any friends or enemies. It hadn't been that Shinji loved solitude; it was just that, after being subject to cold harsh reality at such a young age, he had long since lost all vestiges of motivation to get any closer to the people around him.

Shinji's teachers, on the other hand, knew him as the shy boy in class whom everyone seemed to avoid like the plague, whom answered any question posed to him correctly, and scored excellent grades that surpassed even several of the Coordinator pupils.

He was not as intelligent as the teachers made him out to be, that much Shinji knew. Rather, he just had had a significantly larger portion of free time to himself than most other students his age, which he had dedicated to both his academics and guitar simply because nobody told him to do otherwise. Through sheer hard work and practice, Shinji had managed what others long ago had deemed impossible; which was, with his physical limitations as a Natural, to outshine his Coordinator counterparts.

* * *

**2 April, CE 70**

Under strict instruction from one of his faceless guardians, a 'Rokubungi Gendo', who coincidentally was the same person in charge of Yui's assets, Shinji transferred out of Tokidawa Public Middle School once he finished seventh grade, gathered what few possessions he had, and made the reluctant move to Mitakihara District in Narahabashi, capital city of the Onogoro prefecture on Onogoro Island.

The second of April came amidst the blistering heat waves that had been the climatic norm ever since Second Impact fourteen years ago. Shinji stood, inert, at the Mitakihara Junior High School gate, watching hesitantly as students all around him trooped into the school compound, the broad grins and laughter a stark contradiction to the turmoil of emotions churning inside him.

Taking a deep breath, Shinji crossed the gateway and entered, trying his best to ignore the multitude of curious stares swivelling in his direction (he was the only kid not in Mitakihara uniform) as he made his way to the general office.

"Good morning," the receptionist called out cheerily as Shinji stepped into the chilled interior of the administrative wing.

"Good morning," Shinji said shyly. "I'm Ikari Shinji, t-transfer student." Inwardly, he winced at his stammer.

"Hmmmm." The receptionist perused her computer. "Ah, Ikari Shinji, from Tokidawa Public Middle School, Mihashira?"

Shinji nodded.

"Take a seat," the receptionist said, gesturing towards a couch by the counter. "Your homeroom teacher will be down here to pick you up shortly."

Shinji sat down at the leather couch, twiddling his thumbs and staring idly at his feet as staff and students filtered in and out of the office. Ten minutes later, his reverie was interrupted by a deep but feminine voice:

"Ikari Shinji?"

Looking up, Shinji saw that the voice belonged to a young woman dressed in a tracksuit, her brown hair tied up in a ponytail. "Yes, I am," he said, shooting to his feet.

"Relax, I won't eat you," the woman said with a smile. "I'm Takahashi Fujika, homeroom teacher for class 2-A."

Shinji gave a polite bow. "Good morning, sensei."

"And a good morning to you, too, Ikari." Takahashi-sensei moved towards the sliding doors, beckoning for Shinji to follow her. "Alright, follow me. You're just in time for homeroom. We'll get the introductions over and done with, then we can get started with lessons."

Shinji trailed after Takahashi-sensei out of the office towards the opposite block, where the second-year classrooms were. In general, the atmosphere about Mitakihara felt much more relaxed than its Tokidawa counterpart back in Mihashira. Being located close to the coast, there was a constant sea breeze, which made the torrid weather bearable. Looking around, Shinji was surprised to see that despite the fact that it was already eight-thirty in the morning, the students, Natural and Coordinator alike, were not cooped up and cramming in their classrooms, but actually lounging in the shade of numerous vast trees that had taken root across the school compound, in the cafeteria, or else in the pavilions dotting the expansive school courtyard. To his right, one class was actually having lessons with their teacher on picnic tables by the lake.

2-A was located at the third floor, right beside the staircase. As Takahashi-sensei entered, with Shinji trotting behind in her wake, a hush fell over the class as the students scrambled back to their seats. Once everyone had settled down, a girl with twin pigtails and tiny freckles on her cheeks rose from her seat.

"Class, rise!"

As it turned out, the freckled girl was 2-A's representative. At her call, all twenty-eight chairs scrapped against the concrete flooring simultaneously as their owners got to their feet.

"Bow! Greet!"

"Good morning, sensei," everyone chorused.

"Good morning, class," Takahashi-sensei said warmly. She then continued, "With me is Ikari Shinji, who has just transferred from Tokidawa Middle School in Mihashira. I expect everyone to treat him as you would each other, understand?"

"Yes, sensei ~"

Takahashi-sensei then patted Shinji's shoulder. "Alright, Mr Ikari, now it's your turn. Tell a little something about yourself to the class."

Shinji swallowed, as twenty-nine gazes fell upon him. "Uh …" he stuttered. "I-I'm Ikari Shinji. I'm fourteen this year."

There were a few snickers at that, but Takahashi-sensei nodded encouragingly. "Go on," she said.

"I … I live in Kagome Street, just fifteen minutes' walk from here. And … I play the guitar."

The majority of the class boggled their eyes at Shinji, while a few girls actually squealed. "Good. OK, now comes the matter of your seating arrangement …" Takahashi-sensei murmured as she surveyed the class. Everyone, Shinji saw, had been paired up right from the start, save for the freckled class rep, who had her hand up after arriving at the same realisation.

"Ah, Ikari, there's an empty seat beside Horaki, our class representative," Takahashi-sensei said. "It will be your new seating arrangement from today onwards; are you both OK with that?"

"Yes, sensei," Shinji and Horaki the class rep said in unison.

Just then, a commotion broke out over at the back of the classroom. Takahashi-sensei rapped her hand her desk. "Is there a problem?" she called out. "Suzuhara, Aida?"

"Nothing, sensei," a bespectacled boy answered immediately. "Suzuhara's getting cranky today. You all know why."

Instantly the class broke out in guffaws, and even Takahashi-sensei gave a small grin, while Horaki flushed a deep beetroot red. "Alright, alright! Quiet down, now!" Takahashi-sensei roared good-naturedly. "Ikari, go over to your seat. We're going to begin lessons shortly."

Shrugging off the nagging feeling that everyone was getting a laugh at his expense, Shinji picked up his bag, and traversed down the aisle to where his new seat was. As he neared his desk, Horaki pulled out his chair for him.

"Th-thank you," Shinji said, barely able to rein in his shock at how awfully kind Horaki seemed to be.

"I'm Horaki Hikari," Horaki said with a wide smile. "You can call me Hikari."

"And you can call me Shinji, too," Shinji said quickly.

"My pleasure."

The first period, according to Hikari's timetable, was math. Takahashi-sensei, who taught literature, exited the class after she was done with the administrative matters for the day, and everyone slipped back into a disorderly din as they awaited the math's teacher's arrival.

"So," Hikari murmured, appraising Shinji, "you're a city kid."

"Ummmm …" Shinji fidgeted, feeling as if he was a cut of meat up on sale. "Yes."

"And as I've told every city kid who has ever stepped foot on Onogoro Island," Hikari continued with growing excitement, "you'll absolutely _love _it here! Anyway, I haven't done a proper introduction; I'm Horaki Hikari, age fourteen this year, just like you. I live in Iruo District, two train stops away, and I love cooking and sports. It's my dream to take part in a triathlon once I'm old enough."

"I lived in Mihashira before I came here," Shinji said in a quiet voice. "And before that, I lived in Mendel with my mother."

"Mendel? The _space colony?_ Really? You were in _outer space?" _Hikari gushed. "What was it like? Did you get to wear a spacesuit?"

"It isn't that exciting, really," Shinji said. "I … I don't really remember much of it. My mother died when I was very young. I moved back to Orb after the funeral."

_Why did I say that?_ Shinji hadn't wanted to burden Hikari with his problems, but somehow he just blurted everything out without meaning to.

Hikari's hands flew to her mouth at the revelation. "I … I'm so sorry!" she cried, and to Shinji's utmost shock there were actually tears brimming on her eyes. Immediately, she sprung to her feet and bowed.

"I, I, I was untactful!" she spluttered loudly.

If stares could kill, Shinji and Hikari would be burnt to a crisp by now, as twenty-seven heads spun on their necks to take in the spectacle before them. Hastily he grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled her back down to her seat.

Saying haltingly, "H-h-honestly, it's alright. My mother passed away when I was little, so I don't remember much about her," Shinji then released Hikari's hand, painfully aware of hoots and catcalls shot in his direction by those who did not catch the gist of their conversation.

It was then that their math teacher made his entrance. Brushing away her tears, Hikari steeled herself and stood up again.

"Class, stand!"

* * *

Shinji, as he found out soon enough, was just barely beginning to delve into Horaki Hikari's eccentricities.

Mitakihara Junior High School, as he had learnt from Hikari, who was still apologetic towards him even as the day passed, was, as the adults put it, a 'forerunner in experimental education policy-making'. Simply put, the students there were all voluntary guinea pigs partaking in the trial runs of any prototype policies that the Ministry of Education churned out, in return for a greater subsidy in school fees and direct affiliation to several prestigious government high schools and vocational institutions.

In Mitakihara Junior, all classes were mixed. Each class from years one through three had an equal proportion of Natural and Coordinator students. The syllabus was expectably modified, but ultimately the objective of the experiment wasn't to determine if the development of a universal syllabus for both Natural and Coordinator students was possible (as the same experiment was being carried out in another institution on the other side of Onogoro Island), but in fact to find out whether segregation was really the best option for co-existence between Naturals and Coordinators.

At eleven-thirty, the class broke up for lunch. While there were some who had brought _bento_s from home, the majority of 2-A had already vacated the classroom for the cafeteria, which according to Hikari served excellent rice bowls. Shinji, on the other hand, made no beeline for the door, and instead fished out the _onigiri_ he'd bought from the 7-Eleven on the way to school.

As Shinji chomped into the rice, a shrill yelp from Hikari caused him to choke on his second mouthful. "Are you alright?!" she exclaimed in alarm as Shinji's face began to turn purple.

Dropping his _onigiri_ immediately, Shinji lunged out for his water bottle, groaning with relief as the warm water flushed down the rice jammed in his gullet. Hikari patted his back, and he burped in response.

"Sorry!" Shinji gasped, face flushing violently. "I … [urp]."

"No, no, I should be the one apologising," Hikari said, though she was trying to stifle a giggle.

"What was that all about just now? You looked like I was eating poison."

At Shinji's last sentence Hikari's attitude took an about turn. "You might as well be!" she snapped, causing him to jump. "Do you know how much MSG is there in that pathetic tuft of rice from the convenience store?!"

"Um …" Shinji scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to reply to Hikari's outcry. "What's wrong with MSG?"

Hikari's eyes widened. "What's wrong? _What's wrong?!" _she uttered. "Everything's wrong! Honestly, what did they teach you at Tokidawa?!"

"Well … math, literature, biology, to name a few …"

Hikari sighed. "Would you like to check the cafeteria out?" she asked. "I can bring you there. At the very least, the food there is certainly more nutritious than _onigiri_."

"It's OK," Shinji said with a reassuring smile. "I'm trying to save a bit of money here, so I'll make do with what I have for now."

"Are you hard pressed for money?" Hikari asked, the expression on her face shifting to that of concern.

"No, not really. My mother left me a bit of money when she passed away, but since I'm living alone …"

There, _again._ Shinji had not wanted to divulge anything about his inheritance, and the fact that he was an orphan, to someone he had just gotten to known for half a day, but this time, instinct had fuelled his big mouth instead of his brain. After enduring the void for the better part of his childhood, Shinji subconsciously, if not consciously, craved for human contact. The intuitive part of his psyche had taken over, driving his speech and actions autonomously to bridge the gap between Shinji and Hikari, whom his brain seemed to think it can trust.

"Your father?" Hikari asked, her tone quiet. It looked like she already knew the answer, though.

Shinji shrugged. "As far as I can remember," he said, "I've never seen my father before … I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you all that."

"No, I should be the one to apologise," Hikari said. "I … I lost my mom to cancer just two years ago. Now it's just my dad, sisters, and me. Nobody really knew the pain of losing your parents, and I always got so angry whenever I hear someone bitching about theirs. I wanted someone to understand me. Just one person would do. Then you transferred here, and I felt my wish was finally granted … but at your expense. I felt so guilty."

"You don't need to feel that way. I … I never felt that I was being taken advantage of."

"Don't you?" Hikari said weakly. "I guess I'm overreacting again, hahaha. But seriously, Shinji, if this is all you eat in school, then what do you eat at home?"

"I had a housekeeper who would prepare dinner for me every evening back at Mihashira," Shinji answered. "When I moved here I was assigned a new one, but she doesn't know how to cook."

"You eat out?"

"Yeah, for the past few days."

"Would you like to learn how to cook, then? I can teach you."

Shinji gaped at Hikari.

"'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him forever,'" Hikari said sagely. "It's what my dad always taught us. I wouldn't mind making a _bento _for you every day, it'd give me more practice, but you wouldn't learn anything. Don't you agree?"

"No, I mean, yes, you're right," Shinji blubbered. "But … but you and I have only just met …"

"Um, yeah." Hikari's brow furrowed in confusion. "So?"

"S-so?" Shinji flustered, taken aback by Hikari's response. "What I mean is … um, there's no need to be so nice to me —"

"What are you talking about?" Hikari shot back. "I'm the class rep, aren't I? It's my duty to see to the well-being of my fellow classmates!"

Shinji stared at Hikari numbly, at a complete loss for words. Worst thing was, she was actually being serious. In his previous school, he was an outcast, a pariah that nobody even dared to near. Only the teachers had ever spoken to him, via the occasional praise whenever he answered a question correctly or scored top marks in tests or exams. Even with his excellent grades that placed him at the top of his class, level even, nobody approached him for academic help. The only time Shinji's name cropped up in conversations was during the incessant teasing behind his back about his oversized clothes and cheap haircut, or else the on and off insult from the more callous classmates.

"I mean, we're partners now, right?" Hikari continued. "For the upcoming semester, at least. It is my job to make sure you don't faint in class because you're eating trashy food!"

Shinji felt something burn in his eyes, and he blinked furiously. But he still had his doubts. He had reason to, after witnessing firsthand the cruel pranks his classmates back at Tokidawa play on each other. Not on him per se, but the various humiliating scenes had been traumatising enough to leave a deep enough imprint on his memories.

Was this all a setup? Did he dare to make this risk? Shinji took five whole seconds to make his decision. "I would like to learn how to cook," he said shyly. "Who will I learn from?"

"Me, of course!" Hikari said. "But don't expect anything grand. I'm still learning and experimenting, too. I've club activities after school, but I'm free on Tuesdays and Fridays. What about you?"

Shinji wasn't in a club, nor was he planning to join one in the first place. He nodded. "It's fine."

"Great!" Hikari said with a flourish. "Tuesdays and Fridays, 3.00pm at the home economics room. How does that sound to you?"

Shinji thought for one short moment. "It sounds great," he said in the end.

* * *

Classes in Mitakihara ended earlier than its Tokidawa counterpart. By two in the afternoon, Shinji was already packing his bag and getting ready to return home. Little did he know, however, that his day had yet to end —

"Ikari Shinji."

Shinji froze, as two shadows loomed over him. Looking up, he saw that it was the bespectacled kid who poked fun at Suzuhara earlier, and Suzuhara himself, a tall and muscular boy clad in a black tracksuit and blue ankle socks which effectively flouted every single rule under the 'Attire' section of the student handbook.

"Uh, hi —"

Suzuhara landed a hand on Shinji's shoulder, gripping, no, _restraining. _"You're free now, right?"

"Ye-yes." The deadly layer in Suzuhara's voice gave Shinji absolutely no leeway to respond otherwise.

"Then you need to come with me." Saying that, Suzuhara steered Shinji out of the classroom.

At that time when Suzuhara and his lackey, Aida, committed their deed, the class had mostly vacated. Thus, there was no one around, or who gave a damn, to witness their act of cornering Shinji in the Gents located at the end of the corridor, and of Suzuhara clocking Shinji's cheek with a punch that was most certainly illegal both in and out of school.

_**WHAM**_

Shinji stared at Suzuhara in disbelief. The punch had intended to humiliate more than hurt, as it had shoved him right through the toilet into the watery remains beyond. His cheek stung, but that was it. Shinji felt not even a single drop of blood.

"Sorry, man," Suzuhara growled, "but I have to do this. My honour and a girl's purity are on the line here." He leant in, such that the tip of his nose was almost touching Shinji's.

"Listen, and listen good. I know you're Horaki's partner for now, but that's going to change. Until then, if I see you even utter a word to her, you're going to get worse than just this. You get me?"

Shinji propped his hands on the edge of the toilet seat, and hoisted himself up. There was a deadpan expression on his face as he uttered a monotone, "Yes."

Suzuhara raised an eyebrow. "I can't hear you," he snapped.

"Yes, I will do as you say," Shinji said with more volume, ignoring the noxious slime oozing down his ruined school trousers. "I won't talk to Horaki Hikari anymore. I won't attend her cooking classes anymore. I will ignore her every word starting from today. It's what you want, isn't it?"

Suzuhara started at Shinji's dispassionate monologue, his tough demeanour slipping ever so slightly. Then with a derisive snort, he said, "Do what you want," and shoved his way out of the cubicle. "Let's go, Kensuke!"

Aida threw one last fleeting glance at Shinji before darting out of the cubicle. "Wait for me, dammit!" Shinji heard him yell.

Motionless, Shinji stood there for one full minute. Even though the liquid detritus had not fully seeped through his pants yet, he made no attempt to wipe it off. After a minute, he exited the cubicle and headed straight for the door, not even bothering to wash his hands.

The door, however, swung open before Shinji had even laid a finger on the knob. Aida Kensuke barged in, panting heavily, glasses askew, cradling what looked like a brand new pair of trousers, still wrapped in cellophane, in his arms. "Thank goodness!" he boomed when he saw Shinji. "I thought I'd have missed you!"

Blinking, Shinji uttered, "Huh?"

"Here you go," Aida said, stuffing the trousers into Shinji's arms. "It looked like you've dunked your ass in that shit water, so I went and bought a new pair for you. Can't do much about your underwear, though, so I suggest you get back home and wash up ASAP."

Shinji began to shake. "You're sick," he said through his teeth. "After punching me, you buy me a new pair of trousers? What are you trying to do? If you want me out of your class, I can request for a transfer. It's that simple."

"Whoa, whoa!" Aida spluttered. "That's way too extreme. For your information, I didn't punch you. Toji that idiot did. I was merely there to make sure he didn't go amok."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Like I said, Toji is the single most idiotic human being you can ever come across. And that's saying something, because that schizoid is a Coordinator. Now you know why I didn't stop him. I consider us best buddies, but my nuts aren't big enough to try and stop him while he's being pig-headed." Aida sighed. "Go and change first, please, you're starting to stink, then I will explain. And apologise, while we're at it."

Shinji relented, and emerged a few minutes later, soiled trousers in hand. Coincidentally, the new ones fit perfectly.

Aida's nose crinkled. "Throw that away, if you may," he said. "The new pants're on me. And remember to wash your hands."

Shinji obliged, then followed Aida back to 2-A.

"The name's Aida. Aida Kensuke. You can call me Kensuke," Kensuke said as Shinji flopped down on his seat. "I'm a Natural."

Then he bowed, his spine curving a full ninety degrees. "Just so you know, that meant 'I'm sorry'," he said when he straightened himself. "On Toji's behalf, we're sorry for doing this to you, and on your first day here at that. Don't mind what that puke-for-brains Suzuhara Toji said, just be friends with Horaki. You saw how excited she was when you agreed to have cooking lessons with her."

"How did you know that?" Shinji asked, a tad startled.

Kensuke laughed. "The whole class knows, Ikari," he said. "She's a loud one. Toji's smitten with her."

"I didn't do anything to Hikari," Shinji said bitterly.

"Of course you didn't," Kensuke said easily. "But Toji thought you were, especially when you grabbed her hand like that earlier. That's how dense he is."

"I'd no choice!" Shinji protested. "Everyone was staring at her! What else does he want me to do?"

"Precisely," Kensuke said in agreement. "Toji and Horaki had been childhood friends since the beginning of time, and over time he developed a hero complex, which only became worse when he rescued her from some bullies back when they were in elementary school. I know because he'd been bragging to me since the day I first sat next to him."

"What do I do, then?"

Kensuke shrugged. "Ignore him, that's what you do," he said. "Horaki's a nice girl, and you'll hurt her feelings if you do what Toji told you to do. Anyway, now's a good time to teach him a little lesson, and maybe get those two lovebirds together while we're at it."

Shinji couldn't resist a smile. "What are you planning?"

"Simple," Kensuke tattled. "We tattle on him. I'll do the dirty deed; all you need to do is just watch. In the meantime, you might also want to nudge Horaki in the correct direction when you get more acquainted with her."

"I'll try," Shinji said, nodding. "No promises, though."

"The battlefield of love is never predictable," Kensuke said wisely. "Don't stress yourself over it."

Shinji stood up. "I'll get moving first, then," he said. "I need to buy dinner."

"I got it," Kensuke said, moving aside to make way for Shinji. "And, Ikari?"

"Shinji is fine."

"Alright. Shinji." Kensuke stretched out a hand, looking apprehensive all of a sudden. "I bet you're still cheesed off after all that has happened, but all the same … friends?"

Shinji stared at Kensuke's proffered hand in shock. "Are … are you sure?"

"That's a very weird thing to say," Kensuke said in confusion.

"Back, back in my old school …" Shinji muttered, wringing his wrists. "I have no friends. Pathetic, isn't it?"

"Horaki beat me to it, so let me be your second friend, then," Kensuke said. "I understand how you feel; it's not like I've much of a presence here, either."

"You really … don't mind?"

"I should be asking you the same question!"

And once again, Shinji rebelled against his misgivings. He reached out, and shook Kensuke's hand. "Friends," he said.

* * *

**3 April, CE 70**

The day began like any other, beginning with homeroom with Takahashi-sensei. They had biology in the school courtyard, which was a nice change from the stifling classroom. And right before lunch was one of the best home economics lesson Shinji ever had. Having decided to take a break from the syllabus, Fujika-sensei had her students become part-time baristas, brewing a wildly varied slew of drinks from the coffee mixtures she had painstakingly concocted over the years.

Shinji returned back to the classroom for lunch. At his table, Hikari opened a bag and brought out two homemade _bento_s; one for herself, and one for Shinji.

"Here you go," she chirped cheerily, passing one lunchbox over.

"Thank you," Shinji said immediately. "I'm sorry to trouble you." After all, his was not the only extra _bento_ Hikari had prepared early in the morning; she had her sisters' and father's to take care of, too.

"To be honest, I enjoy cooking, really," Hikari said. "Anyway, it's just a temporary measure. Just take it as an incentive to practice harder for our lessons."

Shinji nodded. "I will," he said seriously. He peeled open the lid. _"Itadakimasu ~"_

Hikari, however, did not open hers. Instead, she got up from her seat.

"Enjoy your meal," she said. "There are a few … matters I need to take care of, first."

A chill went down Shinji's spine as she sauntered over to Suzuhara's seat. Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, Kensuke scooted over to Hikari's table, where he doubled over, clutching his sides in silent laughter.

"This will be fun to watch," he told Shinji, chortling. "Toji's so gonna get it from Horaki."

Shinji choked as Hikari yanked Toji by the ear and dragged him out of the classroom. It was not until she thought they were out of earshot that she went nuclear.

"SUZUHARA TOJI!"

Everyone froze, as a viscous sense of unease oozed in the air; it would appear that class 2-A had long since made acquaintance with their class rep's fury. A few of Shinji's classmates actually scarpered just then, expressions of harried familiarity on their faces as they raced to put as much distance between themselves and Hikari as humanly possible.

"… FIGHTING AGAIN, IS THERE ANY OTHER BLOODY THING THAT YOU'RE GOOD AT? I PITY YOUR HANDS, THEIR OWNER HAS NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH THEM OTHER THAN TO PUNCH AND WANK …"

Shinji coughed out the tea he had been gulping down to clear his gullet.

"Now you know," Kensuke said with a chuckle, "never to get on Horaki's bad side!"

"… SO LUCKY YOU DIDN'T GET CAUGHT OR ANYTHING. EVEN AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TWO MONTHS AGO, YOU STILL SEEM TO ENJOY BEING THE UNGRATEFUL SON THAT YOU ARE. ONE OF THESE DAYS, I SWEAR, YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE YOUR POOR DAD A HEART ATTACK AND YOUR MUM A STROKE …"

"You aren't being fair!" Suzuhara protested loudly. "Ikari was hitting on you!"

Shinji flushed, while Kensuke ducked underneath the table.

"I've a bad feeling about this …" he muttered.

"HITTING ON ME? _HITTING ON ME?!" _Hikari exploded._ "_WHO DO YOU THINK I AM, A WHORE? A SLUT WHO, AS YOU SAID, _HIT ON _TRANSFER STUDENTS? YOU SICK _HENTAI_, DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE PORNO MAGS IN YOUR BAG …"

"Has Hikari ever been like this before?" Shinji asked Kensuke.

"Look around you," Kensuke answered. "What do you think? Everyone's used to it. To a degree, yes, but she was ever this harsh only on Toji. This means something, don't you agree with me? I've been stuck with them and their … disagreements since forever, so I know."

Shinji nodded. "I see what you mean," he said seriously.

Outside the classroom, the viciously one-sided quarrel had died down somewhat, but Shinji could still feel the hostility crackling like static.

"I never thought that of you, honest!" Suzuhara burst out indignantly.

"And Shinji was just trying to save me from further embarrassment!" Hikari yelled back. "He'd lost both his parents, and I said something insensitive, so I apologised! But I was making a scene, so he grabbed my hand! That's all! And just so you know, when I offered to teach you how to bloody _cook,_ you — said — NO!"

Hikari stomped back into the class moments later, her face blotchy, and everyone hastily returned to what they had been doing minutes before. Ignoring a few pointed stares, she strode to the front of the classroom.

"Everyone!" she said out loud, giving a bow. "I apologise for the commotion! I shouldn't have screamed like that, but I was too angry!"

"No matter, no matter," Kensuke called back. "Toji's being an idiot, as usual."

"But I was at fault, too," Hikari said. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Contrary to what Shinji had thought, the wh0le fiasco wasn't over yet.

"Ikari Shinji."

Shinji, who was about to zip up his bag and then head for home, froze at Suzuhara's voice behind him. Inwardly, he cursed his luck; just one more minute, one _bloody_ minute, and he would have been out of school. Now, he was stuck alone in class with a revenge-thirsty Suzuhara, with no Kensuke or Hikari to defend him.

"Ah, Toji, there you are."

Ah, speak of the devil. Kensuke strutted into the classroom, utterly oblivious to the tense atmosphere. "Going home?" he asked. "If you are, wait for me; I'll be done in a jiffy. What are you doing with Shinji, anyway?"

"I want him to punch me," Suzuhara said offhandedly.

"Really?" Kensuke's eyes widened as he scooted over. "In that case, don't stop. I want to watch."

"Screw you, Aida Kensuke."

Shinji spun left and right in growing confusion. "What are you two doing?" he burst out.

"Simple," Kensuke said, plonking his buttocks down onto a spare chair. "Suzuhara Toji wants you, Ikari Shinji, to punch him. This is his way of showing that he's realised he's an idiot and hopelessly in love with Horaki Hikari."

"Shut up, Aida Kensuke." Toji sniffed, straightening his tracksuit and turning to face Shinji. "Ikari Shinji. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a punch for a punch. I really thought that you were harassing Horaki yesterday. Being her friend since young, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

"I wasn't harassing Hikari!" Shinji spluttered.

"I know!" Suzuhara wailed, a pained expression on his face. "She sorta … _told _me earlier, as you've heard. But that's not the point! The point is my pride as a man! I made a mistake, and I need to pay the price!" He squared his shoulders.

"Do your worst, Ikari!"

Shinji hesitated. He looked down at his fist, which compared with Suzuhara's thick and rough hands looked just puny and pathetic. His fingers might just break if he really punched Suzuhara.

It was all meaningless, Shinji realised. Suzuhara hadn't really meant any harm. No, scratch that, he'd _wanted_ to inflict injury onto Shinji, on a grossly misguided notion of chivalry, or, in Kensuke's terms, hero complex. It had all been one big misunderstanding, and in spite of the fact that Shinji was the unlucky one who copped it, he wasn't sure if he was still angry, especially with Suzuhara prostrating himself in front of him.

_An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a punch for a punch … _Really, Shinji had never subscribed to that principle right from the start. Revenge didn't solve problems. It wouldn't bring Yui, who had lost her life during that disastrous experiment back in Mendel, back, and nor would it resurrect Shinji's father, who had, according to Yui, lost the battle with cancer just months after Shinji had been born. And while it would stop the endless teasing back at Tokidawa, it certainly wouldn't change the warped perception Shinji's old schoolmates had of him.

But Kensuke nudged him just then. "Go on!" he egged Shinji on. "It's not every day that you get to punch the living daylights out of a Coordinator!"

"Do I really have to?"

"Of course. Toji's a masochist, he's stupid that way. If you don't punch him now you'll never hear the end of it."

"OK."

Shinji let fly, sending Suzuhara barrelling into the tables and chairs behind him.

"OW!" they yelled simultaneously, Shinji rubbing his fist, Suzuhara rubbing his cheek.

Kensuke shook his head. "Tsk tsk. Look at the mess you both made. We better tidy everything up, or else Horaki's gonna have our heads tomorrow."

Shinji went forwards, and stretched out his hand. Grinning guiltily, Suzuhara took the proffered hand, and Shinji hauled him back on his feet.

"Sorry, Ikari," he said. "For punching you and all."

"'Shinji' will do just fine," Shinji said. "And it's OK, Kensuke bought me a new pair of pants."

"He did. That sneaky bastard!"

Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

It wasn't stated explicitly, as it had been with Kensuke, but from that day on Shinji and Toji became friends. Human beings in generally craved contact, be it borne of hostility or harmony, and Shinji was no exception. Throw two punches and a dunking in a toilet backside down into the mix, and it was near impossible not to be enemies, or in this case, motley friends.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-15: The Awakening Sword

* * *

A/N: PHASE-15 will be posted on **9 June 2013**.


	15. The Awakening Sword

**EDIT: I have made a minor correction to both PHASE-15 and PHASE-16, which rectifies a plot loophole.**

* * *

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-15: The Awakening Sword

**5 June, CE 70**

On the day of Yui's death anniversary, Hikari and Toji invited both Shinji and Kensuke over to the Horaki homestead for a sushi lunch party.

While he had his own doubts over any health-related effects Toji's presence might render onto Hikari's food, Kensuke accepted the invitation all the same. Shinji, on the other hand, rejected it outright with an apology at the end. As badly as he wanted to join his friends, there was simply too much to do today.

That morning, despite the fact that it was a Sunday, Shinji woke up at eight. After brushing his teeth and taking a cold refreshing shower, he made a quick breakfast of toast and milk, and was out of the house by 8.45am, backpack over his shoulders.

Yasuragi Columbarium was located at Minami-koku Island, two islands south of Onogoro. From Shinji's apartment, the travelling time to the crematorium totalled nearly two and a half hours, encompassing two bus services from Kagome-michi down to the ferry terminal, a 45 minute-long ferry ride down to Minami-koku, and then a shuttle bus deep into the heart of the island itself.

Outside Number 46 Kagome-michi, Shinji was in for a big surprise. As he neared the bus stop there, he saw three familiar-looking silhouettes waving frantically in his direction. Shuffling into welcome shade against the relentless sun, Shinji could only watch numbly as his friends all grinned guiltily back at him.

"Hikari, Toji, Kensuke …" Shinji gaped. "What are you all doing here?"

"What does it seem like to you?" Kensuke quipped. "We're most definitely not having our party here at this bus stop, if that's what you're thinking."

Toji punched Shinji's shoulder. "We're going with you, stupid," he said. "Today's your mom's death anniversary, right?"

"Yeah, it's today," Shinji murmured. "But surely you're not going, too?"

"He's hopeless," Toji said, slapping his forehead. "Hikari, help me knock some sense through his thick skull, please."

"For your information, Shinji, we _are _tagging along," Hikari said with a smile. "Yasuragi has a garden memorial for Second Impact victims, and we can tour the place while you visit your mother."

Shinji was at a loss for words. "I …" he blabbered, throat suddenly dry.

"We're sorry for not telling you sooner," Hikari continued earnestly, "but we wanted to give you a surprise."

"No, no, it's OK, I just …" Shinji swallowed, fighting to control the urge to cry.

Chuckling, Toji wrapped an arm around Shinji's shoulders. "You better not walk out on us, dude!" he said. "Hikari woke up specially early today just to prepare lunch for all of us."

What could he say? Shinji was never adept at words, so all he did was mumble a quick, "Thanks." But it seemed to be enough, as his friends all lit up at that simple acknowledgement.

* * *

On the second of December, CE 56, a meteorite roughly 700 metres in diameter slammed into the South Pole, obliterating the ice continent completely and generating an explosion estimated to be an upward of 15,700 megatons of TNT. That, along with the horrific disasters and brutal human conflicts the impact itself triggered, came to be known as Second Impact.

Being an island nation, the United Emirates of Orb was one of the countries hit hardest by Second Impact. At least 120,000 people had perished in the tsunamis alone, and a further 65,000 from the inevitable fallout. Orb's fishing industry was all but wiped out after the foul pollution festering in ground zero blotched the world's oceans a bloody crimson and sterilised them. A wave of cancers and birth defects surpassing even the scale seen during the Reconstruction War more than a century ago hit the people, as the tainted water poisoned their bodies.

Rising against the odds had been Uzumi Nara Athha, head of the Athha royal family, who had taken the mandate as Orb's Representative for three whole terms in order to restore his desiccated country. Many controversial decisions had been made, which culminated into the re-emergence of the Emirates as the world's most powerful and prosperous neutral nation fifteen years later.

In CE 67, as Orb entered her final phases of reconstruction, Uzumi commissioned a memorial and a columbarium, yet another facet of his enduring legacy, before he stepped down as Representative. The columbarium was fully sponsored by government coffers, and any Orb citizen looking for a final resting place for their beloved could apply for a place in Yasuragi free-of-charge, with the only two conditions being that the deceased had departed after Second Impact, and that the immediate surviving family had a per capita income of less than 112,000 yen.

"Beautiful," Hikari murmured as they stepped through Yasuragi's main gate, only to be greeted by row upon row of pristine sakura trees, all in full bloom. The cherry blossoms, which bloomed in spring originally, had been genetically modified to tolerate post-Second Impact weather, and hence could flower for a consecutive four months under the blistering heat before wilting.

The group of friends traversed the length of the paved road under the cool shade provided by the sprawling trees, before arriving at a fork in the path. "Guys," Shinji began hesitantly, "I don't know if you'd mind, but would you all like to visit my mother with me?"

"The way you said it," Kensuke said, "Toji's gonna be wondering whether your mom's a hot chick —"

"I'm not!"

"— but sure, we don't mind," Kensuke finished off, while Hikari nodded in agreement. "It's still early for lunch, anyway."

They took the eastern path, up the slight hill to Yasuragi Columbarium. Reaching the peak where the columbarium's ornate entrance was, Hikari suddenly stopped.

"Look," she said, pointing to the north.

Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke turned, and they saw that she was pointing in the direction of the Yasuragi Cenotaph, a tall stone archway with tiny glass orbs gathered in neat and symmetrical rows round the base. Engraved on the Second Impact memorial were the following words:

OUR BELOVED DEAD

THAT WE MAY NEVER FORGET THEM

"What are those glass balls for?" Toji asked.

Shinji, who had come to know the place inside out from his regular trips there, answered, "They are dedications to the Second Impact victims …"

"3,500 glass lamps, all handmade," Hikari continued in a soft murmur. "With each lamp representing a _hundred thousand_ that have died during and after Second Impact."

Toji recoiled at Hikari's last statement. Being born just one year before Second Impact, none of the children could remember much of what had happened during the cataclysm and thereafter. They had lived a mostly sheltered life throughout their childhood, as sheltered as an Orb citizen could be with a solid roof over their heads, proper clothes to wear, and at least three meals to look forward to every day. Unlike the adults, none of them had lost their loved ones to the tsunamis, babies to miscarriages and debilitating birth defects, and their hard-earned savings to the financial meltdown in CE 57.

At that point in time, each of the children realised that the world of pain their parents had endured was something they could never hope to begin to comprehend, to emphasise with.

"That's …" Toji whispered shakily, "that's more than three billion people …"

"Our history teacher had told us before," Kensuke said. "During the Reconstruction Years leading up to the Cosmic Era, half the world population died. By the time the human race returned to the six billion-mark, Second Impact struck. Basically, we were back to square one."

"We are very, very lucky, aren't we?" Hikari said softly. "That both our parents and us are alive. Well, not my mom, but at the very least, dad's still with us."

They each stood there for the next minute in a melancholy silence, until Toji piped up, "Let's not brood here anymore. We can't hold Shinji's mom up any longer, can we?"

Shinji gave a smile at that. Turning, he beckoned to his friends. "Come on," he said. "My mom's just round the next corner …"

They entered the columbarium proper, marvelling at the sheer grandeur of their surroundings. Yasuragi's design was simple and immaculate. Three short glass prisms across an expansive compound interconnected by transparent bridges cutting through Minami-koku's dense greenery, with the central atrium occupied by a tranquil rock garden permanently shrouded by great trees. Quiet and gentle music danced from hidden speakers as Shinji and his friends treaded carefully across the immaculate marble floor towards the reception counter.

"Good morning," the receptionist said daintily.

"Good morning," Shinji said in turn. "I'm here to visit Dr Ikari Yui, alcove number 03-04-G77." Block three, fourth storey, alcove number G77

The receptionist entered the proffered details into her tablet computer as Shinji spoke. After anti-government vandals attacked the Yasuragi Cenotaph a few months ago security had been stepped up considerably, with the new rules requiring all visitors to register their ID and DNA regardless of their age and social standing.

"Before you proceed, I'd need your ID cards and a blood sample from each of you," the receptionist informed Shinji and his friends. "Please queue up while I prepare the DNA scanner."

They submitted their national identification cards and had their fingers pricked, after which the receptionist produced three visitor passes, bearing their names, NID number, and destination.

"Dr Ikari Yui's alcove is located at 03-04-G77," the receptionist enunciated. "Please head over to lift lobby C. If you have any doubts please feel free to approach our staff."

They thanked the receptionist, and headed over to the lift lobby.

As they rounded into section G, Shinji gave a gasp of surprise. For someone else had already beaten him to Yui's alcove, dusting the box and tending to the empty urn like Shinji had always done thrice a year. Certainly he wasn't a staff member of Yasuragi, for he wasn't in uniform, and moreover staff members did not service the alcoves unless given explicit permission by a direct family member

In all of the years that Shinji had visited Yui, he had never seen this man before.

This man was distinctly taller than Shinji, with a neatly trimmed beard and tinted glasses. He looked to be at least forty years of age, dressed in a modest navy blue jacket over a brick red turtleneck sweater. As Shinji and his friends neared him, he placed the urn back into the alcove.

"Who are you?" Shinji blurted out.

The man swung the glass window to Yui's alcove shut. "Shouldn't greetings be due first?" he said. "Seems like Yui never taught you any manners."

"Who are you?" Shinji repeated. He was starting to shake, though he tried his best not to show it. Behind him, Toji gripped his shoulder. "What are you doing with my mother's urn?"

"What does it look like to you?" the man said, his eyes fixed upon Yui's alcove, never leaving it. "I'm paying my due respects. It's Yui's death anniversary today, is it not?"

Shinji breathed, "I don't believe you. I've never seen you before."

The man spun on his heels, glaring down at Shinji. "Of course you haven't," he said quietly. "I've never seen you before, too, Ikari Shinji."

Shinji clenched his fists. "H-How do you know my name?"

"I'm your father," the man said. "My name is Rokubungi Gendo. After I married Yui, I changed my surname to fit hers. Henceforth, I am _Ikari_ Gendo to you. I was the one who oversaw the trust fund when she died."

"You're lying!" Shinji yelled. "My dad died even before I was born!"

"Yui lied to you, as she lied to me," Gendo said coldly. "As she had lied to many others before us."

"My mom was a good person!"

"She was but a mere cog in the entire scheme of things. Sadly for her, she'd never realised that even till now. All she cared was to satisfy her own desires and curiosity. She had abandoned you, as she had discarded me like trash. All for her own ends. And yet she never realised she was being used."

"NO!" Shinji cried out desperately. "My mom didn't abandon me! She _died! _How could you insult her like that?"

"Ikari Yui is not dead," Gendo said simply. _"She's still alive."_

Shinji froze, mouth hanging open like that of a dead fish.

"All she did was to disappear on you."

Gendo walked past Shinji and his friends to exit section G.

"She discarded you, because she didn't want you anymore. You were a hindrance to her grand plans."

Shinji bit his lip, clamping down on the flesh with such crushing force that he had begun to bleed. "That's not true, that's not true, that's not true!" he muttered, fresh tears sprouting from the corner of his eyes.

"Up to this day," Gendo continued, "Yui continues to delude the both of us. When the time comes, you will see. Until then, remain in blissful oblivion all you like."

Before he left, he uttered one final sentence.

"I'm disappointed. You are just like your mother had always been, _nothing."_

* * *

When Gendo reached the lift lobby, he found Fuyutsuki idling by the window.

"Quite the exchange you had there, Ikari," the elderly man murmured, as Gendo jabbed the DOWN button.

"I couldn't restrain myself," Gendo said in terse reply. "Looking at that boy, I was quickly reminded on how we were manipulated by Yui many years ago. The emotions that the pitiful look on his face evoked were those that you simply could never suppress, however much time may have passed since that incident. I just couldn't stop myself from attempting to crush him, just as I wanted to do to Yui a long time ago."

"I empathise with you," Fuyutsuki said placidly. "Her heart has been set in stone the moment Shinji was born. We hadn't known it then, but she had already since plotted to make Shinji the only viable pilot for EVA-01, to betray humanity and even her own legacy."

With a _ding_, the lift doors slid open, and the two men stepped in.

"Whatever that she might have wanted, she will never get it," Gendo declared softly. "Not as long as I live."

* * *

**14 February, CE 71**

That morning, Kira was put on trial. Furious at how his reckless attempt to break Lacus Clyne out of the _Archangel_ had nearly resulted in a disastrous skirmish with Rau Le Creuset and his ship, Misato had not hesitated to issue Kira a summons.

Half an hour later, they gathered in Murrue's room for the summary trial. Everyone was in their service uniforms, even Misato, who had bound up her hair in a bun and donned her NERV cap. On one side was the prosecutor, Natarle, while Mu had volunteered, a little too enthusiastically, to be Kira's defensive counsel. For all Murrue knew, it was probably just all the military courtroom movies rubbing off on him. Misato would preside over the proceedings as de facto judge.

Giving a sigh as the members of the hearing convened, Murrue took her seat in the witness stand, a folding chair in one corner of the cramped room, grumbling to herself. With all the excitement about Lacus Clyne, and the fact that she had pulled almost ten hours of standby, all she wanted then was to get the hell out of her prickly uniform, take a warm shower, and collapse on her bed.

The thing was, this case was misrepresented right from the start. Given the same scenario on any Atlantic Federation ship, Kira would have been thrown into a holding cell by now and deported back to base at the next opportunity to a court martial. Even with a trial, the result would have been the same anywhere else: sentencing to death on charges of desertion.

Misato wanted was to teach Kira a lesson he would never forget. Kira himself wasn't a soldier from both OMNI and NERV, which gave no office on board the _Archangel _any right at all to prosecute him, let alone execute, but that hadn't stopped Misato and Natarle from going ahead with this farce. And that was what set the both of them apart from other officers Murrue had had worked for in the past. Both of them were impartial, and knew to do what was right, but at the same time they knew their limits.

Misato began, "The defendant, Kira Yamato, pilot of the GAT-X105 Strike mobile weapon, acknowledges that he is facing trial for charges of desertion and conduct unbecoming of a mobile weapon pilot, actions which have in turn threatened the safety of the _Archangel_ and her crew."

"In the first place," Mu spoke up, all the while referring to his manual, "taking a civilian hostage goes against Article Four of the Corsica Treaty. All the defendant did was to uphold a moral right in a time of war."

Natarle rose from her seat. "The actions that Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, captain of the _Archangel_, have taken come under Exception Section C of the same article, _Measures Taken During Times of War_, which gives her enough justification to commit the alleged transgression."

Mu started, scanning the page frantically for the aforementioned section. Wincing as he spotted the exception, he then gave a paltry reply, "Ah, well … but the Nazca-class battleship withdrew in the end, didn't it? It was only because we released the hostage, Lacus Clyne, that we managed to escape such a sticky situation."

"It could very well have ended differently," Natarle snapped. "If Lacus Clyne did not possess the political status as delegate of the Junius Seven memorial, the ship would be entrapped in a skirmish with a force that outnumbered us three to one!"

"Kira Yamato," Misato piped up. "Do you have anything to add? Why did you take such a drastic measure without consultation with your superiors? In any case, shouldn't that be the proper thing to do, even if there is no proper chain of command on this ship?"

The expression on Kira's face hardened. "I didn't rescue Lacus Clyne to use her as a hostage."

Mu chuckled. "Right," he said with a flourish, "you brought her on board the _Archangel _for a romantic date under the stars."

Misato narrowed her eyes. "Will the defence please watch what you say?"

Turning back to Kira, she then continued, "The defendant's actions are in violation of Article Three, Section B, Article Ten, Section F, and Article Thirteen, Section Three of the Military Law of the Atlantic Federation Armed Forces, and in violation of Article Four, Section A, and Article Sixteen, Section 22B of the NERV Joint Staff Rules and Regulations." She paused.

"Therefore, said person shall be sentenced to death!"

A loud gasp burst out through Kira's lips, as he took a shaky step backwards. It became painfully obvious from the fearful expression on his face that he was definitely not expecting such a conclusion to the trial.

Misato vacated her seat, striding over to the stricken Kira. "The death sentence is solely for military personnel under court martial. You're but a civilian, even if you are the pilot of the Strike. The military law of both the Atlantic Federation Armed Forces and NERV holds no power over your actions."

Kira looked up at Misato, as comprehension dawned over him.

"This court martial is dismissed," Misato announced. "Let this be a warning to you, Kira, to think before you act in the future."

Shoulders slumping, Kira murmured, "I understand."

"Good job on evading the gallows, Kira," Mu said heartily, slapping Kira's shoulders. "Don't take this to heart, just remember not to pull any stunts without permission next time."

"That said, however," Misato cut in with an evil grin on her face, "we'll have to figure out some form of fitting punishment. How does fourteen days' worth of toilet and deck duty sound to you all?"

Mu shrugged. "Your wish is our command, Captain," he said with a grin. "It's not like there's anything we can do about it, is there?"

"Correct," Misato cackled. "Two hours from now, Kira, head down to Natarle's office together with Sai Argyle and Miriallia Haw to sign the informal punishment logbook. And if any one of you go AWOL again I swear I'll throw the whole lot of you out of the ship."

* * *

On his way to lunch, Shinji ran into Rei at the lift lobby, starting a little at her attire; of all the things to wear, an ultramarine NERV technician coverall complete with hardened safety shoes. She had probably been over at the hangar for EVA maintenance, Shinji deduced. Evidently, the enigmatic girl standing beside him had more technical knowledge than Shinji had thought, if Ritsuko had given her permission to tinker with her own unit.

"He-hello," he stammered, wincing as Rei made no reply.

As they boarded the lift, however, she abruptly spoke up:

"Where are you going?"

"The dining hall," Shinji said apprehensively. "I'm going to have lunch there."

Rei nodded her head. "That is where I'm headed, too," she said.

"Shall we eat together?" Shinji blurted.

Rei's head swivelled, crimson eyes staring piercingly at Shinji.

"Why?" she said.

"Huh?" Shinji spluttered, taken aback. "What do you mean, 'why'?"

"Why do you want to have lunch with me?"

"Because …" Shinji struggled to find the proper words. "Because if you don't eat with me, I'll be eating alone."

"I'll be eating alone, too."

"And that's bad!" Shinji shot back.

"Why is having a meal by oneself bad?"

"Because a meal is something to be enjoyed with other people," Shinji said, remembering Hikari's words. "A friend told me."

"I've seen you eating alone sometimes."

"Well, that was because everyone else was busy," Shinji answered with a shrug. "Misato needs to be at the bridge, while Sai and Flay have to help out with maintenance work over at the hanger. Not everyone has lots of free time like us."

There was a thoughtful look on Rei's face. "Commander Ikari would have meals with me occasionally," she said.

Shinji froze at Rei's last statement.

"Perhaps you're right," Rei continued, oblivious to Shinji's growing discomfort. "Consuming meals in the company of other souls certainly does add an intangible flavour to the food."

"Father … has never eaten with me. Not even once," Shinji said bitterly.

"Do you want to have a meal with him?"

Shinji thought about it, as a recent memory from nearly eight months ago resurfaced.

A few weeks after the heated confrontation at the columbarium, Gendo had sent a letter to him, inside which contained the results of a DNA scan performed by a professional team in a government hospital. Using a blood sample from a blood test Shinji had done three months prior, Gendo had proceeded to provide solid proof that he was indeed Shinji's blood relative with the slightest of margins of error.

At that time, Shinji had found yet another document inside the manila envelope: a copy of Gendo's certificate of marriage to Yui in CE 54, and their subsequent divorce settlement in CE 60. And with that, there was little doubt as to the nature of Gendo's relationship to Shinji himself.

"I only saw my father once, when I was fourteen, before I came here," Shinji said. "I want to know why he hadn't even tried to contact me all those years. I want to know if … if he hates me or not. If a meal could help answer all those questions, and allow me to understand Father better … then yes, I would very much like to."

"If that is what you want," Rei said, "then why don't you ask him?"

The lift arrived at their destination. Rei disembarked, with Shinji trailing behind in her wake.

"Easier said than done," Shinji muttered. "I've been more than two weeks on this ship, and I've never seen him physically even once."

"Shall I help you ask?"

They turned into the dining hall.

Shinji shook his head. "I don't think you should," he said resignedly. "It'd be more convenient, but I guess I'll need to do this myself."

"As you wish."

As he queued up for his food, Shinji caught a glimpse of Sai in one corner of the dining hall with one of his friends, Kuzzey Buskirk. Seeing that they were immersed in deep conversation, Shinji decided to sit at a different table.

A moment later, Rei arrived at Shinji's table, a tray of steaming food in her hands.

Shinji clasped his hands together. _"Itadakimasu ~" _Rei said nothing.

Halfway through her lunch, Rei put down her chopsticks. "Ikari," she began.

Shinji looked up. "Hm?"

"Do you not mind my presence?"

"Eh?" Shinji blinked stupidly.

"Aren't you bothered by me having my meal with you?"

Shinji shook his head. "No. Why would I be?"

"I slapped you," Rei said matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Shinji flushed. "Yeah, you did."

"Then I ignored you," Rei said. "Why do you still want to have a meal with me? Aren't you angry?"

"At you? No, I'm not," Shinji said in bewilderment. "Should I be?"

"I had expected the contrary."

"But I was in the wrong, wasn't I?" Shinji said sheepishly. "You're right; I really need to have more faith in EVA. EVA-01's not the unreliable one, it's me. I still have a lot to learn … my point being, I'm not mad at you, and I think I enjoy eating with you —" He faltered, blushing furiously as he his head drooped.

But Rei did not speak further. Evidently satisfied with Shinji's explanation, she returned to her food.

They ate in silence for then next five minutes. It was then, however, that their tranquil reverie was broken by an abrupt cry, coming from one corner of the dining hall.

"_Flay?!"_

It was Sai, having shot up from his seat at the sight of Flay staggering into the dining hall, her face slightly gaunt. He shoved away from his table immediately, rushing up to her to hole her steady.

"Flay, why are you here?" Sai asked worriedly. "Shouldn't you be resting in your room now? Where is Milly?"

"I … I'm fine," Flay said weakly, gently prying Sai's hands off her.

"K-Kira," she then called out.

Just a few metres away, Kira slowly turned around, eyes wary. "Yes?"

Stumbling over to him, Flay then said softly, "Kira … I'm sorry."

Kira's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you earlier," Flay continued, biting her lip. "You fought your best trying to protect us, and yet … I said all those horrible things …" A tear trickled down her cheek.

"It's all right, Flay!" Kira said frantically. "I … I should be the one to apologise …"

"No, that's not right!" Flay cried out. "Kira, please stop being so hard on yourself! You really did the best you could. At that time, I … I just wanted someone to blame."

A warm smile emerged on Kira's face. "Thank you, Flay," he said simply. "I'm sorry I couldn't save your father."

"Wars are terrible," Flay whispered, her fists clenched. "I just want it all to end soon."

"Me too, Flay," Kira said quietly. "Me too."

* * *

The peace of the evening was shattered by the simultaneous detonation of all 566 sirens on board the _Archangel_, followed by Maya's harried voice over the PA:

"Archangel_, entering level one battle stations. All crew, report to your posts now. I repeat …"_

With Rau Le Creuset's _Vesalius_ having made a temporary retreat back to the PLANTs to deliver Lacus Clyne back home, it was up to the _Gamow_, a Laurasia-class frigate assigned to Le Creuset's fleet, to sink the _Archangel_ and retake the Strike once and for all. Unhampered by the restrictions Lacus Clyne had forcibly placed on the _Vesalius_, and fully outfitted with a mobile suit squadron and G weapon force consisting of the Duel, Buster, and Blitz, the crew of the _Archangel_ this time found themselves hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched.

Or maybe not.

As the warm LCL gushed down Shinji's throat, Misato's voice blared over the battle network.

"_Pilots, listen up. This time, the Duel, Buster and Blitz have all come to play. But they don't know shit about EVA-00 yet. Rei, you and Shinji will protect the _Archangel_ as we charge on straight towards our rendezvous point with the 8__th__ Fleet. Kira, MA-1, you all know the drill by now; go have fun with the ZAFT pricks, but come back in one piece."_

"_Roger, Captain," _Mu said boisterously. _"But if you ask me, I'd rather take on those Angel creatures any time of the day."_

"_Really?" _Misato said, startled. _"Why?"_

"_It's just my opinion," _Mu replied, _"but it's definitely better than fighting fellow human beings, right?"_

Misato gave a sigh. _"You're most definitely right in this case," _she said with a resigned smile. _"That's just the way we humans are, I suppose. If the Angels had begun appearing just a little before Bloody Valentine I suppose we probably won't even be having this conversation right now. No choice on that matter, though. Murrue, Kira, Shinji, Rei, any questions before we launch?"_

"_Nope, I'm all set," _Murrue replied breezily.

"_EVA-00 is operating at full functionality," _Rei said stoically.

"I'm OK too, Misato," Shinji said.

And Kira said, _"Don't worry, Misato. Nobody will die this time."_

At that, Shinji gave a start. There was something in Kira's steely tone that brought a chill down his spine. But as EVA-01's launch platform became flush with the runway he pushed the nagging thought to the back of his mind. The _Archangel_ was in danger once again, and he couldn't let anything distract him.

"Ikari Shinji, EVA-01, launching!"

* * *

As the pilots launched from the _Archangel_, the G weapons all went their separate ways. The Duel lunged after the Strike, while the Buster seemed satisfied with smaller prey, it being the Moebius Zeroes of the MA-1 squadron. On the other hand, the Blitz … was nowhere to be seen.

"_Stay sharp, EVAs!"_ Natarle barked. _"The Blitz comes equipped with Mirage Colloid stealth technology, which makes it invisible to both our eyes and equipment!"_

Out of nowhere a volley of beams came thundering from portside, slamming into the hull in one brilliant fulmination of sparks. Protected by anti-beam lamination armour, the hull held its form, though the points where the beams had hit flared a brilliant vermilion as the armour heated up to dangerous levels.

"_Estimate the Blitz's position from the firing angle of those beams," _Natarle instructed. _"After that, fire the fragmentation warheads in the determined direction!"_

While the Mirage Colloid kept the Blitz hidden from both the human and electronic eye, it did not conceal any rounds or beams that it fired from its weapons. It being a prototype technology, there were numerous flaws in its design, with an especially fatal one being that the dispersal of stealth Colloid particles forbade the deployment of Phase Shift armour, rendering it vulnerable to physical weaponry, such as the shrapnel from the _Archangel_'s fragmentation warheads.

Its cover blown, the Blitz spun around to scarper, only to find the shadow of EVA-01 looming over as Shinji pounced upon the stricken mobile suit.

In this contest of reflexes, the pilot of the Blitz, with his professional military training, clearly had the upper hand. Darting away from the frontal assault nimbly, the Blitz took a swipe with its beam saber, which dealt no damage at all when the impervious AT Field sprouted protectively before EVA-01's outstretched hand.

Frustrated, the Blitz sheathed its blade and powered up its thrusters. Shrinking away from EVA-01's grasp, it reactivated its Mirage Colloid, and once again all that Shinji saw were but the twinkling stars bearing witness to the one of countless battles unfolding in deep space.

"_Shinji, Rei," _Misato said,_ "I'm authorising the use of ranged weapons and progressive knifes for both EVAs-00 and 01 right now. You two, stand by the linear catapults; the hangar will be sending out rifles to you shortly. Note that these are not beam rifles; we've modified them to accommodate standard 76mm rounds. They are not powerful enough to pierce the Blitz's armour, but it should be enough to keep him in Phase Shift mode."_

The _Archangel_'s twin launch shafts opened up, and out shot in tandem two of the modified variants of the Strike's high energy beam rifles. Shinji and Rei caught it deftly with their EVAs, just as the ship let loose a second barrage of fragmentation missiles.

Shinji could hear Rei's call over the radio; it was the first time he had ever heard her raise her voice:

"_Ikari! Portside!"_

The two Evangelions swung around in one synchronised motion that would put most ballet troupes to shame and fired, the rounds ricocheting off the Blitz's hull armour harmlessly.

"_Disengage Igelstellung auto-tracking!" _Natarle ordered. _"Put up a barrage with the CIWS fire instead!"_

The Igelstellung close in weapons systems (CIWS) was a series of gun turrets strategically organised across the _Archangel_'s hull, with purpose to destroy any incoming projectiles and large shrapnel. At Natarle's command, the CIWS turrets ceased tracking of enemy fire, instead firing at points randomly predetermined by the ship's CIC, consequently shrouding the ship in CIWS fire and giving the Blitz no chance at all to re-engage its Mirage Colloid.

Caught in an intertwined mosaic of enemy fire, the Blitz abandoned any attempts at sabotage, instead reverting to a haphazard display of damage control, firing its beam rifle wildly at the _Archangel_'s CIWS turrets.

The EVAs rounded in on the Blitz, firing in staggered unison that ensured a steady stream of fire upon the mobile suit. When they were close enough, EVA-00 actually jettisoned its rifle and pounced, grabbing the Blitz's armaments and ripping them apart in one fluid motion, as if it had merely been a piece of paper.

Shinji looked on in awe as the Blitz hobbled away, a testament to Rei's superior piloting prowess. She was just like a dragonfly, he thought, graceful enough to turn even the macabre motions of predating into an elegant dance. Certainly not like he had been in the past battles, clumsy and awkward, and — he realised with a pang — chronically dependent on others' assistance.

EVA-00 then released the Blitz, allowing it to retreat back to the _Gamow_ unscathed otherwise.

"_Just three more minutes till we reach the rendezvous," _Misato said. _"Shinji, Rei, good job."_

Rei spoke, _"What are our next instructions?"_

"_Stick to the ship. We still have that Laurasia frigate on our tail. Same thing as always: locate any incoming enemy fire, deflect it with your AT Fields, then repeat."_

"_I understand." _To Shinji Rei said, _"Ikari, let's split up."_

"OK," Shinji said. "But, Ayanami …"

"_What is it?"_

"Nothing." Shinji gave a small smile. "I … I just wanted to say … you're amazing." And as a surprised expression broke through Rei's dispassionate façade, Shinji cut off the video link between their EVAs.

* * *

From her post aboard the bridge, Misato watched in morbid fascination as Rei overpowered the Earth Alliance's prototype mobile suit with almost zilch effort on her part. The difference in combat capability was painfully obvious, with the Blitz beat into a hasty retreat after just a little more than three minutes into the armed engagement with the Evangelions.

To defeat a monster, mankind had created a monster in turn, Misato had long realised, even before that disastrous battle with the First Angel in Heliopolis.

"Tell me, Katsuragi," Natarle said, albeit a tad shakily, "NERV is never going to pass the technology that built those EVAs to the Earth Alliance or ZAFT, are they? Please tell me that they wouldn't."

_And once again, we're on the same wavelength. _"I couldn't be too sure of that. Who knows what the higher ups are thinking?" Misato heavily. "But trust me, as long as I'm still alive, that will never happen. I will make sure of it, at all costs."

* * *

Kira, on the other hand, was having immense trouble. The Duel's pilot, as tenacious as he was, was more driven than Kira had ever seen in their past battles. Bitter at the string of defeats he had faced ever since he began piloting the Duel, the ZAFT pilot was woe to take down Kira once and for all in this very fight, deflecting every beam and parrying every blow that was directed at him.

And yet, somehow, Kira was calm. Even if he was no match for the Duel, his heart no longer felt a need to race. His skin was miraculously dry of chilly sweat, and his hands never shook once since he launched from the _Archangel_.

Looking back, he saw that the EVAs had repelled the Blitz with startling ease. The tides of the battle had turned; all the _Archangel_ had to contend with now was the _Gamow_, and with the more than capable command of Misato and Natarle at the helm, it was a matter of time before the frigate found itself overwhelmed. The ship was safe, and so were his friends.

And Flay.

Her words replayed themselves in Kira's head, over and over again. She understood. The hurtful words Flay associated him with previously no longer mattered, because in the end, she understood. That Kira would never betray his friends, even if he was a Coordinator. That the only reason Flay's father died in that horrific battle was because he was still weak and powerless.

_I am Kira Yamato. _Coordinator he was not, but a human being. An entity free to take neither side in this cruel war, free to protect those he loved, even if they are Naturals.

_I am a murderer. I have killed and maimed. With just my hands, I have destroyed lives. _

Resolve smouldering in his heart, Kira made his decision.

_Even if I may have to continue killing, I will fight. _So that his friends could continue living. So that Flay's unyielding trust in him would never waver._ I will become stronger._

For just a hundredth of a second, Kira's eyes fell close. But it was the longest hundredth that he had ever experienced, and when those violet eyes of his fluttered open again, they had changed, as with his mind, body and soul.

Even as Kira turned to face his adversary, the afterglow of an exploding seed continued to blaze in his eyes.

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-16: Stars Falling in Space

* * *

A/N: PHASE-17 will be published on **23 June 2013**.


	16. Stars Falling in Space

**EDIT: I have made a minor correction to both PHASE-15 and PHASE-16, which rectifies a plot loophole.**

A/N: Firstly, I need to apologise for the slight delay. It is not an excuse, I know, but I had felt that this chapter had been the most difficult one I had ever written.

* * *

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-16: Stars Falling in Space

The entrance to the bridge of the Agamemnon-class carrier, _Menelaos_, slid open pneumatically, and in walked Admiral Lewis Halberton, supreme commander of the Atlantic Federation Navy 8th Fleet.

As everyone on board rose to salute him Halberton said easily with a quick wave of his hand, "At ease, at ease." With that, he made his way to the communications console.

"Good morning, sir," the communications officer greeted.

"Good morning to you, Ensign," Halberton said. "I heard we're in radio contact with the _Archangel_. Mind if I have a few words with the captain?"

The officer handed over a spare headset. "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you." Halberton slid the headset over. "_Menelaos_, _Archangel_. This is the commander, Admiral Lewis Halberton, speaking."

"_Good morning to you, Admiral," _a feminine voice blared from the speakers. _"This is Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, captain of the _Archangel_."_

"Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi, eh?" Halberton said. "I've heard quite a bit about you from Major Wilde."

"_Regarding Major Bernard Wilde, I give my deepest condolences for your loss."_

"Save that for his family," Halberton said with a bitter smile. "He was the sole breadwinner, and his daughter's still in college. But I am not here to burden you with the affairs of our soldiers. From what I heard, yours is certainly a special case."

"_In my opinion, 'special' more than fulfils the criteria for being the understatement of the century."_

"I've no choice but to agree with you on this front," Halberton said with a chuckle. "My officers and I have a ton of questions for you, but we will save that for later. Before that, I would like to extend to the _Archangel_, and her crew and passengers, a warm welcome on behalf of the 8th Reconnaissance Fleet. While your stay here is but a temporary respite, please do feel free to put forward any requests you might have to us, and we will try our utmost best to resolve your problems."

* * *

It was set. While the _Archangel_ would proceed to Orb as planned, civilians on board could do so one full day earlier, in a rota of atmospheric re-entry shuttles the 8th Fleet had kindly supplemented the _Archangel_'s own force with. The _Archangel_ herself would depart only twenty-four hours later, after resupply and emergency repair work had finished.

Misato gave a relieved sigh as she vacated her post. Her shift was over, and her bed was waiting. Finally, it was time to reset her body clock to a more humane schedule.

As she proceeded towards the sliding doors, however, she heard Natarle calling her name.

"Katsuragi."

_She's never going to call me 'Captain', is she? _Misato thought forlornly. "Yes, Natarle?" she said.

"There's an issue of importance that I need to discuss with you," Natarle said.

"OK, if you say so." Misato beckoned for Natarle to follow her. "Let's do it outside, shall we?"

Once they were out of earshot of the rest of the bridge crew, Natarle spoke up immediately, "The EVAs. What are you going to do about them?"

"What _can _we do?" Misato said tiredly. "If you can find one place on this shipwhere I can hide the EVAs I will donate both of them to OMNI Enforcer."

Natarle kneaded her forehead. "Nothing we can do about that, then," she said. "What about the Strike?"

"What about it?"

"Everyone here knows that we made it this far because of the abilities of both the EVAs and the Strike's pilot," Natarle said. "And it's a general consensus between the both of us that OMNI Enforcer must never lay their hands on the Evangelions. However, as for the Strike …"

Misato shrugged. "Well, whatever intentions you might have for the Strike is no business of NERV's. We have no standing in the Bloody Valentine War."

"I know that," Natarle said. "But as a commanding officer with the most experience out of anyone aboard the _Archangel_, I would like to hear your opinion on this."

"I'm certainly honoured that you hold my opinions in such high regard," Misato said. "But Kira's a Coordinator; would OMNI even let him _touch_ a mobile suit, let alone pilot one?"

"As a pilot, his abilities are invaluable," Natarle argued. "The military should look past his status as a Coordinator if it wants to better its fighting force."

"The thing is, Natarle, if the military is able to do that, then there wouldn't be a war in the first place, would it?"

"We won't know for sure," Natarle said. "The intricacies of the human psyche are too complex for anyone to understand fully. Kira Yamato need not serve out at the frontlines; he can protect key installations as part of the defence regiments. His combat prowess would be an excellent deterrent against invaders."

"I'm shocked. As an officer, surely you should know what most of your comrades signed on with OMNI for," Misato said. "If it's not for the benefits, it is to stain their hands with Coordinator blood. Kira and his family will be in danger the moment he enlists. Add the fact that his parents are Naturals, and the next think you know Blue Cosmos comes a-knocking on your door."

"The military could take Kira's family under its protection —"

"Natarle," Misato said, appalled. "What are you saying? What kind of military would offer protection for its lowly soldiers? Even for us, officers commandeering precious assets in the armed forces, we aren't given such privileges! A mere pilot needing bodily protection; what use will such a soldier be to an army?"

Natarle's shoulders slumped. "You're right," she said in resignation. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Are you still tired?" Misato said concernedly. "If you need to, we can swap shifts."

"No, I'm fine. It's just that …" Natarle leant back against the wall. "I don't know whether it's too soon to say this, but I'm tired of all the fighting. If having Kira on our side would resolve things faster, then I would have done whatever it takes to recruit him in the military."

"It wouldn't work," Misato said. "He might have the talent, but he doesn't have the will. Just like Shinji, he has only persevered so far only because of the fact that he has absolutely no choice in the matter at all."

"Yes, that much is obvious," Natarle said. "The boy had endured all those battles only for the sake of his friends. Take them out of the equation, and he won't have any more reason to fight." She tilted her head back. "Reckless he definitely is, but he has an admirable sense of justice and loyalty. He's a Coordinator, and yet he has sacrificed so much just to protect us Naturals."

"And so have his friends," Misato said, "who chose to look past their differences and support Kira from the sidelines. Let's face it, Natarle; the children of the _Archangel_ are way more mature than we adults had ever been in our lives. I, for one, didn't join NERV for the purpose of protecting the world as we know it. Me, I just wanted revenge."

"Revenge?" Natarle said, startled.

"The Angels took my family away from me, and I want them to pay for that," Misato said simply. "My performance during my stint at the navy was nothing short of stellar; at the recommendation from my superior officer, I signed the death pact with NERV. Of course, that was before I was told that the EVAs would be piloted by children Shinji's age."

Natarle gave a bitter chuckle. "I'm no better off," she said. "When I graduated from high school the navy came and offered me their scholarship programme. That was before Bloody Valentine, but tensions were already on the rise. I enlisted thinking I will stay on Earth near my hometown as part of a defence fleet, but I outdid my fellow cadets and ended up here, thousands of miles away from my family and friends. I've been on the frontlines since then, and to be honest, I'm tired."

Misato clasped Natarle's shoulder. "I can't tell the future, so I can't really offer much words of assurance. But trust me when I say I understand how you're feeling right now," she said. "Nobody knows how many Angels are out there, waiting to strike when humanity's at its weakest, and certainly not a single soul here knows the exact moment when the Angels will finally surpass the limits of Shinji and Rei's capabilities and overwhelm the EVAs. I'm a Coordinator, but I'm telling you to keep fighting, if you think that is best for everyone you care for."

"When we first met, I never imagined that there will be a day when I'd be thanking you," Natarle said with a small smile. "All the same, thanks for your help."

Misato winked. "You know, you should definitely smile more," she said. "You look much more beautiful that way."

"What are you talking about?" Natarle spluttered, flushing a deep beetroot red.

"What I'm saying is, whenever you feel tired, just give yourself a smile," Misato said. "It keeps the blues away, and it certainly will draw the guys in. And that's two birds killed with one stone."

Giving a good-natured laugh, Misato turned and walked off, waving as she did so. "I'm off to visit the kids," she called out from the lift lobby. "Holler if you need anything, kay?"

* * *

Even as the rest of the ship entered a relieved lull following the successful rendezvous with the 8th Fleet, the _Archangel_'s hangar was still entrapped in a seemingly endless state of flurry. There were repairs to be made, decks to be swabbed, and machines to be swapped. The Moebius Zero mobile armour, a craft developed solely for space combat, would be rendered utterly useless the moment the _Archangel_ began re-entry. It was a hard decision, especially for Mu and Murrue, but the Zeroes had to go.

Launching herself over the railing, Misato gave a little giggle of delight as she fluttered down the depths of the hangar. The micro-gravity for this part of the ship had been all but deactivated to ease the transition of the new machines into the _Archangel_, giving the hangar's denizens the closest thing to natural flight they could ever get.

Misato saw Ritsuko perched on one of the gangways, wrapping up what seemed to be a debriefing of an EVA simulation training to Shinji and Rei. As the blonde professor tucked her tablet under her arm and turned to leave, Misato called out.

"HEEEYY RITSUKO ~" she said. "Come join me! Shinji, Rei, you too!"

Misato pouted as Ritsuko gave a smirk and walked away, ignoring her completely. As she landed atop the hull of Mu's Moebius Zero, she saw Rei vaulting deftly over the steel railing and kicking herself off while Shinji watched on with an apprehensive look on his face.

"OI, SHINJI!" Misato roared. "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE OR I'LL HAVE YOUR PANTS TONIGHT!"

Shinji paled, clambering clumsily over the railing and somehow managing to tumble off and land on the ground floor on his bum. Physically, it wasn't painful, but that was not to say that it didn't hurt, what with all the echoing guffaws from the surrounding crew that could be heard all across the cavernous hangar and most probably for the weeks ahead.

To her left, Misato heard a sharp cry of pain as Murrue whipped the back of Mu's head with a thick flannel. "What transpires?" she asked with an air of amusement.

"Nothing, just being the pervert that he is," Murrue said irritatingly. "He's been flashing up girls' skirts ever since they turned down the micro-gravity. Including yours, Captain."

"I wasn't!"

"You WERE."

Chuckling, Misato left the pilots to their tiff. Beckoning towards Kira, who had been helping Mu tweak the controls to his craft's OS all this while, she hopped down to where Shinji and Rei were standing.

"What's the matter?" Kira asked as he stood beside Shinji.

Misato turned, gazing up at the section of the hangar where the Strike stood erect together with the EVAs. Cast under the harsh lighting of the hangar, they struck an impressive sight indeed, like tall majestic statues of guardian angels.

"With all that's been going on the past few weeks," she said, "I've hardly had any time left to have a proper talk with you all."

"What is it?"

With a serene smile Misato said, "Well, firstly, I just wanted to thank you three here properly. If anything, I'm truly grateful for all that you've done."

And Misato bowed, deeply and respectfully, drawing shocked looks from everyone in the vicinity, including that of Kira, Shinji, and Rei.

"It's nothing," Kira said embarrassedly. "You had no choice."

"My point is, I forced a lot on you three," Misato said with a guilty smile. "Shinji, Rei, as much as you have wished otherwise, what we have faced till now is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be many more battles to come, and they will surely only get tougher."

While both Shinji and Rei would be stuck on board the _Archangel_, Kira and his friends were given the choice to board the Orb-bound shuttles this evening. Kira himself had jumped at the offer, and registered his name in the shuttle manifest without a second thought, eager as he was to put as much distance between himself and the Strike as humanly possible. On the other hand, for some reason his friends were still hesitant about leaving the _Archangel_ at all.

"We will fight," Rei said. "We will defeat the Angels, no matter what it takes."

Shinji gave a resigned smile. "I'll try my best, too."

"Thank you," Misato said. To Kira, she stretched out a hand. "You and your friends survived Heliopolis and emerged from all those battles mostly unscathed, but certainly there would be scars. There would be nightmares, and there would be fear. Do not let what you've seen control your life, but at the same time, don't discard those memories either. Our memories, after all, are what define us."

"I'll remember your words," Kira said, shaking Misato's proffered hand. "Thank you for your guidance."

* * *

At around twelve-noon shipboard time, Admiral Halberton and his fleet officers boarded the _Archangel_ for a simple survey of the ship and her equipment. Naturally, this kicked up a storm of mayhem across the ship, with the messing section hit hardest after announcements of Natarle's impromptu invitation to the admiral for lunch in the _Archangel_'s dining hall were made just half an hour before the shuttle from the _Menelaos _was due to arrive.

In anticipation of the 8th Fleet command staff's arrival, the soldiers of OMNI Enforcer had fallen in by the landing bay fifteen minutes before the stipulated time. As Admiral Halberton himself alighted from the shuttle, the white-clad soldiers raised their right arms in a unified salute, while Misato and the rest of the crew watched on from the side with benign interest.

"You know," Halberton said, drifting forward in the micro-gravity and then grasping Natarle's shoulders to anchor himself to the ground, "when I heard what happened in Heliopolis I'd thought it was the end of the road for us. Needless to say, I'm very much relieved to see most of you all in one piece. I was a tad nervous when I was told that the ship was in battle just minutes before our rendezvous, but it seems that my worries were unfounded."

"All of us here had contributed to the _Archangel_'s survival in one way or another," Natarle said. "Beside me are Captains Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga, Moebius Zero pilots of the 7th Orbital Fleet."

Halberton sidestepped, shaking Murrue and Mu's hands in turn. "We were fortunate to have you two," he said. Then, gesturing to Misato and her crew in the background, he asked, "And what about them?"

"They are the men and women under Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato's command, from the paramilitary organisation NERV," Natarle explained. "Up till now, they had formed the main body of the _Archangel_'s crew, and played a vital role in the ship's defence. After the Heliopolis incident, we also had a few civilian volunteers join their ranks."

Halberton broke away from Natarle's group and headed forward. After exchanging firm handshakes with Misato and a few members of her crew, he said, firstly to Kira and his friends, "We've asked for, and received, the official list of survivors from the Heliopolis collapse. All of your family members are safe."

At the revelation, expressions of mingled shock and relief emerged all around as the five friends hugged each other in sheer jubilation. Nobody, then, had noticed for a fact that Flay was absent, not even Sai.

Halberton then turned to the rest of the crew, "We're grateful for your help in this time of great need. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart."

One of the admiral's junior officers leant in and whispered something in his ear. With a nod, Halberton then said to everyone present, "I'd love the opportunity to have a proper talk with you all. But time waits for no one; there are matters of utmost importance that needs my immediate attention. With that said, we shall take our leave first."

Admiral Lewis Halberton of the 8th Fleet turned, and exited the hangar, his posse of junior officers trailing in his wake.

* * *

After lunch, Halberton together with the officers of the _Archangel_ convened in one of the briefing rooms aboard the ship for a short debrief, which began by Misato showing the video log of EVA-01's first and catastrophic battle in Heliopolis, and the subsequent ones over the past few weeks.

"I'm … troubled, to say the least," Halberton said when the video ended, kneading his brow. "Now we know for sure that ZAFT wasn't the one that destroyed Heliopolis."

"You speak as if you knew about the EVAs and Angels already, sir," Natarle remarked.

"And I do," Halberton said simply. "The higher ups in our armed forces have already been briefed beforehand. Long before the fools fired their precious nuclear missiles upon Junius Seven, Uzumi Nara Athha had already been in touch with the former President and Siegel Clyne to sign the Vatican Treaty." The Vatican Treaty, a binding agreement pitting the three powers of the world, the Atlantic Federation, PLANTs, and Orb together with NERV in a front of solidarity against the Angels, had been one attempt of many to unite humanity in the face of a common enemy, though all that diplomatic effort had been rendered futile on the day of Bloody Valentine itself.

"As things go right now," Halberton said, "we have no proper battle plan in the event of an Angel materialisation. The commanders are convinced that humanity's worst enemy are not those abominable creatures, but the Coordinators. Instead of developing new equipment for combat against the Angels, the higher-ups are more focused on their petty wars and concessions."

"You say that, Admiral," Misato spoke up, "but you _are_ one of the most fervent proponents of the G Project."

"As a soldier, the only way we know to end any armed conflict is to defeat the enemy, simple and cruel as that," Halberton said heavily. "I'd intended the G Project to do just that, and once the war had ended I planned to lobby for their deployment against the Angels. But from what I have learnt about the G weapons and Angels thus far, it would seem that I've been failingly naïve, in spite of my age and experience."

"In my opinion," Misato said, "you're giving yourself undue stress. Leave the Angels to NERV and Orb, and win this war. After that, if perhaps you're still yet not battle-weary, then maybe you could, for lack of a better phrase, give us a hand."

"You'd say all that despite being a Coordinator?"

"By my definition, to 'win' a war means that, at the end of the day, you and your men are still alive," Misato said. "As Operations Director for NERV, I have no time or energy to concern myself with human conflicts. I am a Coordinator, but I have absolutely no attachment whatsoever to anyone in the PLANTs. Whether the Earth Alliance or the Coordinators win this petty war, I simply can't be bothered. There are Angels to be destroyed. Our pilots' lives are in my hands; I cannot afford to be distracted."

Halberton gave a chuckle. "Your beliefs on the conditions for victory are respectable," he said. "Believe me when I say that a career in the army, be it OMNI or ZAFT, is most definitely not compatible with you. But that's not the point of this meeting today. Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, Captains Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga, and Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel, I would like to thank you all for your hard work in protecting the _Archangel_ and Strike. It would seem, however, that Alaska doesn't share my sentiments."

"What do you mean, sir?" Murrue spoke up.

"They didn't say it explicitly," Halberton said, "but Alaska is generally appalled that no decision to scuttle the ship and Strike was made, especially after the Coordinator boy has accessed all of the Strike's schematics and specifications."

"That's preposterous," Misato said immediately.

"Indeed," Halberton said. "In spite of all that has happened, the Strike, together with the _Archangel_ and her crew, remain vital assets in the war. I see no transgression in the actions you and your crew have taken. The whims of the higher-ups in their comfy cubbyholes in Alaska will matter not a single bit. What is more important is the route we must take from here on.

"The _Archangel_ must descend to Earth and travel to Alaska with the same personnel roster," Halberton declared. "With four out of five G weapons in ZAFT's hands, it is imperative that we get the ship and Strike, along with the combat data, to JOSH-A."

"Given the hostile inclinations of your higher-ups back in Joint Supreme Headquarters — Alaska towards the present crew of the _Archangel_," Misato piped up, "will they be welcomed with open arms?"

"As an Admiral, not much of what I say goes ignored," Halberton said. "The Coordinators are more than capable of plundering the G weapons' technologies and churning out newer and more destructive machines. Heliopolis was a major setback to the G Project, but against all odds we have to revive the development schedule."

Halberton turned to Natarle and the rest. "It is as Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi has said," he said. "Victory for most of us is determined by the number of survivors, not the outcome. The G Project is the only shot we have at preserving our soldiers' lives out in the field. But for those fools holed up in Alaska who have yet to fight an actual battle themselves, to witness an Angel up close and understand its true terror, the death toll is but a number on paper."

Natarle nodded, rising from her seat and saluting Halberton. "Thank you for your understanding, sir," she said. "But what do we report of Heliopolis and the EVAs to Alaska?"

"The higher-ups have caught wind of the true story behind Heliopolis' collapse ages ago," Halberton replied. "It is to their benefit, however, that rumours are allowed to fester in place of the truth. Dissatisfied you are free to be, but do not attempt to change the status quo. You'll only get hurt in the process, and the same goes for you two pilots. We cannot afford to have soldiers like you leave the force. There are still many battles to be fought, hot-blooded rookies to guide and protect, and a future to look forward to when the war ends."

Murrue and Mu stood up in unison, saluting the admiral. "You have our word, sir," Murrue said with a small smile. "We look forward to working with you once we return from Alaska."

"As do I," Halberton said with a salute in return. "As do I."

* * *

Misato sauntered into the dining hall, clear folder in hand, towards the left corner where Sai and his friends are seated. "Good afternoon," she said crisply. "Is everyone here yet?"

"Kira's not," Tolle murmured. "Where's Flay, Milly?"

"She left a while ago," Miriallia said gloomily. "Said she wanted to go to the hangar, though she didn't say why …"

Misato shrugged. "Probably didn't want to see my irksome face," she said. "But no matter. I've already handed Kira his form, and maybe I'll get Natarle to pass Flay hers."

"Form? What form?"

Misato opened her folder, passing a few thick sheets of paper each to everyone present. "The thing is," she began, "it is a crime to have civilians participate in combat during wartime. Although NERV isn't a military organisation, our presence in the past battles can't be ignored, especially when OMNI and ZAFT were involved. To be on the safe side, we've decided to deign you all as temporary staff employed by NERV, complete with payroll and insurance benefits. The sheets of paper that I passed to you all are proof of that, so don't lose them."

Without waiting for a reply, Misato continued, "Attached to each of your employment contracts is a confidentiality agreement, which prohibits you from divulging information about the Evangelions, Angels, _Archangel_, and G weapons. I need all of you to read through your documentation thoroughly, and clarify any doubts you might have right here, right now."

Tolle raised his hand. "What do we do from now on?"

"The _Archangel _will be departing for Orb at 1630 hours tomorrow," Misato explained. "As you know by now, the 8th Fleet has kindly lent us their re-entry shuttles for the Heliopolis survivors, and they will be departing tonight at 2100 hours across six flights. It's up to you, really, to decide whether you want to leave today or tomorrow. In my opinion, it's not much difference, and we'd appreciate the extra help if you decide to stick with us till we touchdown at Orb two days later, but, hey, it's your call."

"What did Kira say?"

"Well, of course he wants to get the hell away from this damn ship," Misato replied. "He's put his name in just in time for the last shuttle tonight."

Sai looked down at his employment contract. "Times have been hard the past few weeks," he said, "but I would like to stay, and help out. Even though we're just students, if our presences have made a difference, then I would want to see this through the end."

"What about Kira, though?" Miriallia said worriedly. "It wouldn't be the same without him. Even if he's not piloting the Strike anymore, I'd still want all five of us to be together. Flay, too, if she doesn't mind …"

"Milly, what are you talking about?" Tolle said. "If we want Kira to stay all we have to do is ask. He wouldn't mind. I mean, he doesn't have to pilot anymore, does he? As for Flay, we might have to depend on Sai a bit …"

As the exchange continued, Misato watched on with a small smile on her face. _Kids they are, but the world definitely needs people like them right now, _she thought with an inward sigh.

* * *

8.45pm shipboard time, the final Orb-bound shuttle was making its final pre-flight preparations. Kira, back in his civvies, stepped out of the lift and joined the winding line of passengers in the hangar waiting to board the shuttle.

Just then, a voice piped up from behind. "Kira."

Kira turned, and saw Shinji a few metres away, staring apprehensively at his feet.

"What is it?" he called out.

"Um …"

Kira left the queue, and walked up to Shinji. "Speak up," he said with a smile.

Shinji struggled with his words. "Before you go," he stuttered, "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"T … thank you," Shinji said with a guilty smile. "And sorry."

Kira clasped Shinji's shoulder. "What's the apology for?"

"Everything," Shinji replied. "Especially during that battle … above Junius Seven. I caused you a lot of trouble. If it's not for you, everyone would have died because of me."

"Well, that might be true in the eyes of others," Kira said, "but if not for you and EVA-01, I wouldn't have a chance against that Angel, would I?"

Shinji looked away. "I don't know about that …"

"Big brother~"

A shrill cry interrupted their conversation, and they whirled around just in time to see a little girl tumbling straight towards them on a collision course.

"Whoa!" Kira huffed, as he caught the girl by her shoulders just before she crashed headlong into Shinji. He then said, "Be more careful next time, alright? You almost hurt yourself."

"Oops," the girl said sheepishly. "Sorry,big brother. But I couldn't help myself!"

Kira chuckled, setting the girl gently down upon the ground. "What is it?"

The girl dug into the tiny pouch slung over her shoulder, pulling out a petite paper flower. "I want to give you this!" she said jubilantly. "I folded it myself!"

"Thank you," Kira said earnestly, taking the flower gingerly by the stalk. "What is it for?"

The girl smiled widely. "It's a gift. Thank you for protecting us!" she said. "My mama said we should always thank anyone who helps us whenever we're in trouble."

Kira cradled the flower in his hands, admiring the ornate detail. "This is beautiful," he breathed. Then he said, "Would you by any chance have an extra flower?"

"Oh, yes! I made lots!" The girl nodded her head vigorously. "Does big brother want another flower?"

Kira gestured over to Shinji. "It's for him," he said. "He protected the ship, too."

Shinji stared up at Kira in shock, as the girl rummaged in her pouch. Pulling out another paper flower, she deposited it in Shinji's trembling hands.

"Thank you, _onii-sama_," she said loudly. "Have a safe trip!" She turned, leaping in a wide arc into her mother's waiting arms.

Shinji began haltingly, "Thank you, Kira. But you don't need to …"

"The captain said that you're going to be here longer than us," Kira said. "It is these little things that allows me to pull through each time circumstances get difficult. When times get tough … think of the people you've helped with your abilities. You'll feel better."

Shinji pocketed the flower. "I'll try."

Kira gave a guilty chuckle. "It's what people taught me. I try and listen to their advice, but mostly it's still difficult."

"Yeah," Shinji murmured. "Where are Sai and the others? Have they left?"

"That reminds me," Kira muttered, checking his watch. "There's only a few minutes left …"

He turned, facing in the direction of the lift lobby, and his face brightened up. "Oi!" he called out, as his friends emerged from one of the lifts. "Over here … eh?"

Sai, Tolle, Miriallia, and Kuzzey all swarmed towards Kira and Shinji, still clad in their coveralls. "Hey, Kira," Tolle chirped. "What's with that look on your face?"

"Why are you all still in your uniforms?" Kira asked in confusion. "They won't let you board the shuttle dressed like that!"

"Kira, we've decided to stay," Sai spoke up.

"But, why? Don't you all want to go home?"

"It's been hell for the past few weeks, but we want to see this through the end," Sai said. "Anyway, it's only a few days difference; all of us will be back home within this week. The _Archangel_ is leaving the 8th Fleet tomorrow."

"Could you stay with us, Kira?" Miriallia asked.

"Couldn't you tell me sooner?" Kira spluttered.

"We were afraid of your reaction," Miriallia said. "You never said it out loud, but we know how hard it is for you to stay here."

"Even so …" Kira said. "Home wouldn't be the same without you guys, would it?"

Tolle punched Kira's shoulder. "You don't mind, then?"

"Of course I do, you went and decided this without even informing me," Kira countered. "But it is not like I've to pilot the Strike ever again, is it? After all those battles, I won't mind scrubbing the decks with you all for a change …"

* * *

Fate had never been crueller at that instant.

The battle sirens detonated not even a second after Kira uttered his last sentence, sending a tidal wave of panic coursing across the refugees gathered in the hangar. With the passage home within their grasps, everyone had been driven insane by the onset of an imminent assault, launching into a violent flurry of jostling, shoving and biting as they fought their way into the shuttle before them.

"Archangel_, entering level one battle stations," _Maya's tense voice echoed all across the ship. _"All crew, proceed to your pre-assigned stations now."_

Kira could only stare on numbly as pandemonium unravelled before him. He was torn, his heart split cleanly into two, between joining in the stampede to the only means left to get back home, and staying with his friends, and piloting the accursed Strike.

He gave a gasp, as Tolle grabbed his shoulders and began steering him towards the shuttle. "HEY!" he roared, as the OMNI soldiers herded the last of the refugees into the re-entry craft and prepared to seal the entrance. "YOU FORGOT HIM!"

"Tolle! Let me go!"

"At this rate you'll have to pilot the Strike again, so do as I say!" Tolle snapped back.

"What are you talking about? I can't leave you guys here!"

"Don't worry," Tolle said with a reassuring smile. "We're with the 8th Fleet, remember? They will protect us. What matters most is that you'll be safe."

He gave one final push, causing Kira to tumble in the direction of the Orb-bound shuttle. As the figures of his friends diminished before him, Kira made his decision.

Feeling the steady hands of an OMNI soldier grip his shoulder and anchor him to the gangway tethered to the shuttle, Kira then gently shrugged him off with an apologetic grin on his face.

"What are you doing?!" the soldier yelled, but he was already gone, having launched himself over the railing.

With trembling hands Kira pulled out the NERV termination of employment contract form from his pocket. Next was the paper flower gifted to him by the refugee girl, and both lay upon his sweaty palms, both items shivering along with the terrible spasm that had seized his body just then.

As much as he had tried to deny it, it was already clear right from the start that he would never, ever, be able to live with himself if he had boarded the shuttle just then. His conscience and guilt would eat him alive.

Taking a deep breath, Kira then stowed the flower back in his jacket. His arms lunged, tearing the contract into pieces. His lips part.

"Mr Murdoch!" he yelled. "Prepare the Strike; I'm moving out!"

* * *

"_Electrifying LCL."_

"Hang on," Misato ordered from her post. "Do not launch any units until I give the order. Maya, put me to the _Menelaos_."

Ten seconds later, Admiral Halberton's face appeared on screen. _"What is it, Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi?"_

"Two Laurasia-class frigates, one Nazca-class destroyer, five mobile suit squadrons and three G weapons," Misato said. "This is a battle the 8th Fleet cannot win. The _Archangel_ requests to break off from the fleet and carry on to Orb on her own. We're the ones Le Creuset is after, not you."

"_What the hell are you saying? You won't be able to reach Orb from your current position!"_

"That's right," Misato said evenly. "Based on our calculations, the ship will descend near the Earth Alliance-controlled territory of Korea. If we hold out long enough to enter Earth's orbit, your fleet will be able to shake off Rau Le Creuset and his fleet. His ships cannot survive re-entry, and he will most definitely retreat after being outnumbered by your ships!"

Halberton's jaw tightened. _"The _Archangel_ will be a sitting duck once she breaks off! At this rate, the fleet cannot provide optimum protection!"_

Misato stood up. "Please have faith in your crew, Admiral!" she declared. "We understand the risks involved, and we will pull through this! It's the only way all of us can survive!"

Five seconds passed as Halberton struggled to make a decision, the longest five seconds Misato had ever been through in her entire life. And then the admiral's fists relaxed, his eyes glaring into the camera.

"_Your recklessness will be the death of you, Lieutenant-Colonel!"_

Misato let loose a laugh. "Ha! Who's the king of recklessness here?" she said. "I've read quite a number of your endeavours. Needless to say, they are rather … exciting."

"_You got me there!" _Halberton roared. _"Very well, I accept your proposal, Lieutenant-Colonel. _Archangel_, prepare for atmospheric descent at once! The 8__th__ Fleet shall do its best to protect the ship and her crew all the way to orbit."_

"Thank you, Admiral," Misato said, touching her fingers to her temple in a brief salute. As the video link severed, she turned to her crew. "What's our status?"

All four G weapons were out in full force, even the Blitz, albeit with evidently hasty patchwork from after its complete rout previously, blazing through the mobile armour vanguard with frightening effortlessness. Only six minutes had crawled past since Rau Le Creuset's had begun his assault, and four of Halberton's ships, including a carrier, had already been sunk. They were running out of time.

"Now or never," Misato muttered to herself. Picking up her headset, she announced,

"All hands, prepare for atmospheric descent!"

* * *

Back at the hangar, Murdoch had begun yelling at Kira.

"Prepare the Strike? What the hell are you harping about? Come talk to me only after you've changed into your damn suit! I don't want your sissy jacket in a fifty-metre radius around this hangar!"

Kira winked, touching his head in a mock salute. "Be right back!" he called out as he kicked off in the direction of the lift lobby. "I'll be counting on you!"

Hearing Kira's shout, Mu popped his head out of his Zero's hatch. "What the?" he said. "I thought he left already?"

"Indecisive little brat!" Murdoch swore. "If he's going to stay why even bother queuing for the shuttle at all?!"

"Stop being such a twit, Murdoch. Just admit it, that kid's about the only person on board other than that blonde professor who understands your ravings, you computer _otaku_."

As Murdoch made to swipe at Mu with his flannel rag, Murrue eased herself out of her mobile armour, gazing in Kira's direction with a forlorn look on her face.

"A penny for your thoughts, my dear comrade," Mu said, rubbing his cheek.

"Kira's sure having it rough, isn't he?" Murrue murmured. "Fighting in such a brutal war at this young age … life's just going to be so much harder for him from now on."

"Nothing we can do about it now," Mu said. "He chose his own path. At the very least, his friends are by his side."

Kira tapped the access button on the wall, propelling himself into the pilots' changing room as the steel doors slid pneumatically open. A shrill gasp rang out in the cramped compartment, as Flay slammed the door to Kira's locker shut with a startled hiccough.

"F-Flay?! What are you doing here?"

Instinctively, Flay lunged forwards, wrapping her slender arms around Kira's slim frame.

"I decided to stay on, with everyone." She looked up, peering into Kira's eyes with her own wide sapphire ones. A relieved smile blossomed on her pale face. "You didn't leave us …"

"Don't worry," Kira said through his teeth. "I won't run away anymore. I'll fight on, together with everyone here."

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself," Flay whispered, a pleading expression on her face. "Please, Kira, you need to take care of yourself. It might sound absurd, coming from me, but you know that I always speak my mind."

Giving Flay a pat on her shoulders, Kira then broke away from her embrace gently, making his way to his own locker. "Flay …" he began, a warm smile on his face. "You're a very kind person. Thank you for everything."

Flay went forward to Kira, taking tiny, uncertain steps along the way. "I'm not," she said, head bowed. Her fingers reached out, winding themselves around Kira's wrist. "I never was."

"Stop blaming yourself," Kira said firmly. "I'm really fine now, so please, don't torture yourself anymore."

"I'll try," Flay said softly. "Kira, be careful."

Kira reached into his locker and plucked out his jumpsuit. "I will do my best," he said.

"I'll be waiting for you," Flay whispered.

Then, cupping Kira's cheek with one hand, she leant in, the world around them seeming to freeze in time as their lips met.

Kira's eyes widened in shock, but he made no move to push Flay away. Her lips were soft as velvet, her touch kind and tender. His heart, now but a frigid and stony facsimile of its original self after all the brutality that he had witnessed, and committed, melted in Flay's arms.

Slowly, and yearningly, their lips part. Flay, caressing Kira's cheeks, propped herself up to kiss his forehead. "Come back, alright?" she whispered. "Stay alive."

"I will," Kira said. "I promise."

* * *

Owing to her ability to survive in multiple environments, one derogatory term ZAFT officials had for the _Archangel_ after viewing stolen G Project documents had been, simply, _cockroach_. Not only could the prototype battleship operate in multiple environments of air, outer space, and sea, she could also survive underwater and atmospheric re-entry, traits which Coordinator engineers had, till now, been unable to integrate into one single craft.

"Descent check sequence confirmed," Maya reported from her console. "_Archangel_ is all green for re-entry!"

"Proceed," Misato said. "All hands, begin first phase of re-entry in five seconds."

Atmospheric re-entry, even in the space-faring age of Cosmic Era, had always been the most challenging aspect of any space flight. A myriad of variables, each as wholly important as the other, serves to confound the procedure to extreme degrees of difficulty, and any error, no matter how insignificant, had the potential to morph into a fatal outcome for both the ship and her crew.

The first phase of re-entry for the _Archangel_ involved entering orbit, and then leaving it again to descend into Earth's upper atmosphere in the second phase. To enter orbit, the ship must travel at a velocity not less than eight kilometres per second — 30 times the speed of sound. Any slower, and the ship will tumble uncontrollably to the ground.

Throughout the entire procedure, the _Archangel_'s movements had to be calculated and precise. She must prevent all unnecessary energy surges, which could influence her thrust and speed in potentially dangerous ways. That meant a complete ceasefire on all of her weapons systems; the _Archangel_ wouldn't be able to retaliate against enemy attack.

"Captain!" Shigeru yelled. "The Duel and Buster have crossed the vanguard; the _Menelaos _is now engaged!" As the 8th Fleet's flagship, the _Menelaos _was situated at the back of the battle formation. Now that the enemy forces have encroached all the way there, it was a matter of time before the _Archangel_ came under attack herself.

Misato's console gave a beep, and Mu's face came up on screen. _"Captain," _he said urgently. _"Those G weapons will be on us like hyenas any moment. We need to be out now."_

"Denied," Misato said immediately. "The way things are now, it's too dangerous!"

A new communications window appeared; this time it was Kira, drawing surprised gasps across the bridge as he materialised on the screen. _"This is Kira Yamato," _he said. _"Captain, please let us out. If this goes on the _Menelaos _will be sunk!"_

"Kira?" Misato said. "Didn't you already leave for Orb?"

"_I stayed in the end, with Tolle and the rest. But my point is, we'll be fine. The Strike, according to its specs, is more than capable of atmospheric re-entry!"_

Misato made to counter Kira, but was then abruptly interrupted by Natarle:

"Pilots of the Strike, MA-1, and EVAs-00 and 01, you're clear for launch. Do not stray too far from the _Archangel_, and all orders to retreat are to be heeded with immediate action." Natarle paused. "Am I clear on this? Especially you, Kira Yamato. It is possible for the Strike's armour to withstand the extreme heat borne from atmospheric re-entry, but that has only ever been tested in simulations! The interior is bound to overheat to dangerous levels, so keep your eye on your altitude at all times."

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

Misato shoved away from her seat. "Natarle Badgiruel," she said, incensed, "are you overriding me?"

"That I am!" Natarle snapped. "Stop being a hypocrite! You were the one who told Admiral Halberton to have more faith in our crew and pilots!"

Misato froze, as the full realisation of what Natarle had said hit her. With a jerk of her neck, she said stiffly, "You're right. I apologise."

"You're the captain, so stop shouldering the burden all by yourself," Natarle said gruffly. "Leave the pilots to me, and focus on the battle ahead."

* * *

"Ikari Shinji, EVA-01, taking off!"

It was only then, as EVA-01 took off from the _Archangel_'s launch shaft, that it occurred to Shinji just how scarred Earth had become. The lush azure planet that he remembered from all his science lessons was all that it had only been, a distant memory in the hazy minds of the hoary generations, a mere digital image in dusty Internet archives.

The Earth that stood before Shinji was haggard and grey, its lands crusty and gangrenous. There was not a spot of blue to be seen, no matter how hard he searched. Instead, all that flowed through the planet's veins were the vile crimson sludge that spurted continuously from the lifeless wastelands of Antarctica, ground zero of Second Impact. Earth was now a planet teetering on the edge of death, a stone's throw away from a permanent transition into a parallel of its barren counterparts across the Solar System.

As EVA-01 kicked off from the runway, a window bearing a countdown timer flickered to Shinji's side, a paltry total of six minutes trickling away continuously and relentlessly.

"_All pilots, listen up," _Natarle said. _"We have approximately seven minutes before the _Archangel_ enters phase three of re-entry; that gives you a one minute window to return before you start burning up in the atmosphere. I don't need to repeat myself: retreat immediately once your timer reaches zero. We will leave you behind if you're late; simple as that. Any questions?"_

"No," Shinji grunted, as EVA-01's engines whined in protest against gravity's lecherous pull. With no choice but to ramp up his speed to a blinding upward of Mach 7 just to keep up with the _Archangel_, the burden on both of Shinji's concentration and endurance could only intensify to excruciating levels.

Tasked with deflecting enemy fire away from the _Archangel _with their AT Fields, the tactical movement for both Shinji and Rei hadn't deviated much from the previous skirmishes. Shinji skirted over to portside, his heart palpitating in tandem with the savage pyres searing sporadically across the background.

A comms channel opened, and Rei flickered into view. "Ikari," she spoke, "are you doing well?"

"People are dying," Shinji whispered. Images of the carnage from Artemis seemed to superimpose upon reality, of soldiers into oblivion as the inferno consumed them, of them being sucked out into the vacuum of space as their vessels splintered, their bodies torn apart alive by the void.

"Do not disconnect," Rei said. "I will stay with you, Ikari, so don't disconnect from this channel."

Shinji nodded in gratitude. "I won't," he said.

Sirens blazoned in unison, as both EVAs' scanners detected an enormous heat signature careering in abaft the ship stabiliser fins. In one synchronised motion, EVAs-00 and 01 dove in the path of a high-speed projectile launched from the Buster's railgun.

"AT Field," they uttered, "maximum power!"

The two titanic forces clashed, igniting a gargantuan paroxysm of shockwaves that seemed to warp even space itself. Even as the projectile crumbled harmlessly, the amalgamation of the two AT Fields held its form, shimmering brilliantly against the desolate backdrop that was the planet Earth.

"Archangel_, entering phase two of atmospheric re-entry in two minutes. All mobile units, standby."_

The second phase of re-entry involved the instantaneous jettisoning of virtually all of the speed the _Archangel_ had picked up in order to enter Earth's orbit. The Strike, EVAs, and MA-1 would have to be back in the ship's hangar by then, as it would already be impossible to intercept stray units as the ship itself embarked on the actual descent.

"No," Shinji heard Rei gasp, and he looked up, eyes bulging as the charred remains of the enemy Laurasia-class frigate folded against the _Menelaos_' engines, the collision culminating into one gurgling fireball that blossomed out and consumed both ships. In an attempt to destroy the command vessel of the 8th Fleet, the frigate had charged on ahead of its own fleet, and when enemy fire had ripped it apart beyond salvation, its captain had resolved to make the deaths of the his own crew count.

"The shuttle!" Shinji yelled. "They transferred the refugee shuttle from the _Archangel_ to that ship. Where is it?" His eyes swivelled wildly on their sockets, searching …

"There, Ikari," Rei burst out. "Over there." EVA-00 raised its arm, finger pointing in the direction of the smouldering wreckage. A glittering dot emerged from the churning plumes of dark smoke, like the final seed ejecting from a wilting fruit.

"They are safe," Shinji choked with relief. The descent would surely be a rocky and harrowing one, but the teams Admiral Halberton had assigned to the refugee shuttles were skilled and experienced. Even if the _Menelaos_ had perished, not all was lost. "Ayanami, they are safe!"

"Stay sharp, Ikari. The battle's not over yet."

To Shinji's right, a furious duel was unfolding between the Duel and Strike. In spite of the pilot's best attempts, and major upgrades that had included additional armour and weaponry, the Duel had not gained any ground against Kira at all. Its engines straining at full capacity against Earth's gravity, it was no longer capable of coherent combat. The Duel's weapons unloaded with a rabid pace, with none of the discharges landing even close to the Strike's hull.

Shinji reared forwards, his AT Field barely deflecting a projectile fired haphazardly from the Duel's railgun in an otherwise deadly trajectory towards the _Archangel_'s engines. Kira responded in due, manipulating the Strike's controls nimbly to land a resounding kick to the enemy's torso.

Driven wild by frustration, the Duel began firing its beam rifle with abandon, the manic flashes of piercing light seemingly twisting the passive expression on its headpiece into a bestial one. As the countdown timer drew ever closer to zero hour, the Strike lingered back, anticipating the signal to retreat.

"Archangel_, entering phase two in one minute. All mobile units, begin emergency landing."_

The _Archangel_'s launch shafts cranked open, and the first ones to enter were the Moebius Zeroes, the turbulence causing them to skid badly against the runway. _"EVAs-00 and 01," _Maya's cool voice then came up. _"Begin emergency landing."_

Amidst the chaos of mid-flight landing, the refugee shuttle drew close, trespassing upon the space between the Duel and _Archangel_.

Shinji saw it. He _saw _it. The Duel, finally abandoning its fruitless attempt to even graze the _Archangel_, recharging its rifle, then switching its aim.

The barrel of its rifle extended out, but pointed at neither the Strike nor the EVAs.

"No," Shinji began. "No, no, _no, no, NO!"_

The Duel's trigger finger curled.

"_DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT! DON'T DO IT!"_

With a slight kick of recoil, the weapon fired. The beam surged on ahead relentlessly, slamming into the hull of the shuttle and ripping it apart ravenously like a beast that had fasted for days. For one fleeting moment Shinji saw the afterimage of the little girl who gifted him the paper flower, and the innocent smile on her round face that would haunt him for the rest of his life, together her cheery words,

"_Thank you for protecting us!"_

_Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us Thank you for protecting us —_

Shinji scrunched up his eyes, his body turning frigid. No longer was his conscious mind in control, but instead the fury bubbling in his subconscious, spilling out and infecting every facet of his consciousness like a vile parasite.

The next moment when he opened his eyes, an evil scarlet hue had pervaded them, tainting his irises as with the foul hatred that had flooded his heart.

Shinji's lips part, and he hissed:

"_I … am going to kill you!"_

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-17: Awakening

* * *

A/N: PHASE-17 will be published on **7 July 2013**.


	17. Awakening

**EDIT: PHASE-18 will be delayed till August the 11th, Sunday. I apologise for the delay.**

A/N: Usually I'd try my best to reply to reviews, but since previous comments have been rather unanimous I shall deem this chapter my official reply.

* * *

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-17: Awakening

**14 February, CE 71**

EVA-01's jaw slackened, steam billowing out in gurgling clouds. Its spine arched backwards, and an earth-shattering scream erupted from the depths of its throat, in terrible animalistic tones that silenced the hearts of everyone present.

"Thirty seconds before phase two commences!" Maya yelled. "Captain!"

"Abort descent and maintain orbital velocity!" Misato shouted back frantically. "What of the other units?"

"Presently, MA-1 has successfully docked into the ship. EVA-00 and the Strike have yet to begin landing procedures," reported Maya. "EVA-01, on the other hand ..!"

Ritsuko turned and barked, "Aoba, Hyuga! What's EVA-01's status?"

"The syncograph is going haywire; I can't even get a clear reading on the sync ratio now!" Makoto stared helplessly down at the fluctuating readings on his terminal. "The pilot's ego is barely visible beyond this point!"

Ritsuko strode over to Makoto's console, brow furrowing as she took in the data. "EVA-01's is consuming the pilot's consciousness," she said in an ashen voice. "But that means …"

"Your conjecture is correct."

Eyes fell on Gendo as he stepped into the _Archangel_'s bridge, the expression on his face grim. He marched over to Ritsuko immediately, saying, "EVA-01 is awakening. We must circumvent it at all costs."

"How?" Ritsuko said, her tone desperate. "The pilot's mind itself is fuelling the process. The only way we can stop it is to —"

"We'll use everything we have at our disposal," Gendo said. To the rest of the bridge he spoke, "Aim Variants and Gottfrieds. Target: Evangelion Test-Type EVA-01."

"What?" Natarle reared from her seat. "It suicidal at this altitude!"

"While the remnants of the 8th Fleet continue to hold out against Rau Le Creuset's fleet," Gendo continued, "we need to silence EVA-01 in the shortest time possible."

"Natarle," Misato began, eyes fixated on the main screen. "We've no choice. It's the only way we can get Shinji back."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look at the data. Shinji's still conscious, even as EVA-01 runs berserk." Misato paused. "I don't want to believe it as much as you wish not to, but it seems that the child has managed to get the EVA into berserker mode by his own will alone. He won't stop, unless we stop him."

Grabbing her headpiece, Natarle spoke loudly and defiantly into the microphone, "Shinji, Ikari Shinji. This is Natarle Badgiruel."

Abruptly, Shinji's hoarse voice broke through the static:

_"I …"_

"Shinji!" Natarle repeated. "Can you hear me?"

One could almost hear the sadistic grin in Shinji's voice as he uttered, _"I WILL KILL YOU."_

Eyes widening in terror, Misato whispered, "Shinji?"

Shinji spat, every word bubbling with curdling hatred.

_"I will kill you I will kill you I will kill you I will kill you I will kill you I will kill you I WILL KILL YOU!"_

Everyone's eyes were glued to the main screen as EVA-01 made the final transformation into the very demon it had been constructed in the image of. In loathsome wriggling convulsions analogous to that of parasitic wasps as they erupted from their hosts' drained bodies, a putrid mass of oozing tendrils exploded out from EVA-01's spine, splintering its protective armour plates into tiny fragments that vaporised in Earth's upper atmosphere almost immediately.

Those cilia-like extensions then merged, then unfolded to form a pair of wings greater than the latitude of the _Archangel_ herself. EVA-01's neck convulsed, then snapped, mangling itself to inhumane angles through some unseen bodily mechanism before the armour there shattered, revealing flesh that seemed to have gained the constitution of rubber.

EVA-01 pounced upon the Duel, thundering ahead in speeds surpassing beyond what the _Archangel_ could ever be capable of. Head lashing out in one single flash, the Duel was then ensnared in the EVA's elongated neck like a spectacled caiman would have been as it was crushed alive by an anaconda, its natural predator.

EVA-01's head rose to the Duel's own, the Cheshire smirk that had formed across its jaw in full view of the pilot through the headpiece cameras.

"GAT-X207 Blitz approaching!"

Unheeding of the signal to retreat, the Blitz thundered straight ahead, lashing out its right arm to bombard EVA-01 with its mounted armour-piercing darts. All three darts hit home, burrowing through the EVA's armour and shredding the flesh lined beneath into one noxious plume of blood and viscera bits.

Having failed to materialise its AT Field in time, the Blitz's assault had inflicted grievous damage upon EVA-01 itself. What's left of its armour hung limp from the EVA like the rags of the refugees in the war-torn territories of the Middle East. One of the darts had ripped its left arm cleanly from the socket, while the other two had impaled straight through the chest and torso sections and lodged themselves there, protruding out from its ravaged body likes nails from a voodoo doll.

Nonchalantly, EVA-01 wrenched the titanium stakes off its body, letting them tumble away before swiping the amputated limb into its remaining hand. Lifting it up high, EVA-01 then dropped the arm into its waiting mouth, swallowing it entirely in one inaudible gulp.

The same mass of tendrils that had birthed EVA-01's wings extravasated from its stump of an arm, writhing and thrashing against each other in one bestial display of barbaric carnality. Those tendrils merged, massive hormonal reactions sculpting and moulding the aggregated carapaces into a brand new appendage for the beast they were slave to.

Seizing the opportunity to escape, the Blitz grabbed the stricken Duel's arm and opened its thrusters up wide. But EVA-01 was woe to let its prey evade its clutches so easily, and it flapped its wings, _once, twice —_

And then with one flash it was there, right _there, _hovering in the middle of the Blitz's escape trajectory, eyes flashing as if mocking its pilot. EVA-01 reached out, plucking the Duel away from the Blitz's grip —

"Variants, fire!"

The _Archangel_'s railguns let loose, the projectiles ricocheting harmlessly off EVA-01's AT Field. At the same time, the Blitz lunged up forth, shoving the barrel of its beam rifle into EVA-01's horned face and firing with abandon.

EVA-01's eye was blown off in an instant, and it released the Duel momentarily, gnashing its blunt teeth angrily and making to dart forward to swat the nuisance that was the Blitz.

Together with the Strike, EVA-00 barged into the fray, progressive knife unsheathed.

Hoisting its beam rifle, the Strike began firing, burst after burst of high-powered beam fire all lazily shrugged off by EVA-01's AT Field. It was all merely a distraction, however, as Rei charged in from the side, blade raised.

"Too slow," Rei muttered to herself, as EVA-00 collided into a second AT Field ten metres away from her quarry. She pulled her EVA back, then slammed on the engines in a valiant attempt to vault over the obtrusive barrier, only to crumple against a _third_ AT Field —

"My AT Field isn't strong enough," Rei gritted inwardly. "I can't neutralise it —!"

EVA-01's AT Fields shifted, joining their edges with a fourth, fifth and sixth barrier to form a tight prismatic cage around its form. Corralled in a zone of absolute defence, the EVA then pounced upon the hapless Blitz, tearing into its hull and innards vociferously.

The _Archangel_'s Gottfried cannons pumped enthusiastically, but for all she did she might as well have flung pebbles, as the heavy beams melted harmlessly against EVA-01's shields. Her Lohengrin cannons hung inert in their pods, the firing of the ship's ultimate weapons prohibited for fear of the potential nuclear fallout when radioactive material from the positron beams dispersed across Earth's atmosphere.

With that in mind, the Gottfried cannons were the next best alternative in subduing EVA-01, and after bearing witness to their utter failure everyone could only watch wide-eyed as the EVA finally emerged from the carnage, a round metallic sphere dangling from its claws over its gaping jaws.

It was the armoured cockpit chamber of the Blitz, the largest piece of the prototype unit left intact after being cannibalised brutally by EVA-01. The pilot himself was visible through a gash in the steel, an emerald-haired young man not much older than Kira himself was.

EVA-01's remaining eye peered up at its prize, glinting hungrily.

* * *

The Aegis came forth in its mobile armour mode, hoisting the Duel with its grapplers and then making an about turn in a direct trajectory back to the _Vesalius_, the Buster trailing behind in its wake.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yzak Joule, pilot of the Duel, roared. "I can make it back on my own. Nicol's still down there!"

"Commander Le Creuset instructed us to retrieve only you," Athrun Zala said quietly from the cockpit of the Aegis.

Yzak thrashed wildly in his seat. "What are you, a puppet?" he bellowed. "Let me go! Nicol's waiting for us to rescue him, what the fuck are you all waiting for?"

"Yzak, shut up," the Buster's pilot, Dearka Elsman, said hollowly. "There's nothing we can do now."

"Fuck you both. Fuck you both to the ends of hell, you hear me?" Yzak spat. "You two cowards are the ones with the heavy weapons, put them to fucking use!"

"What use, you tell me?" Dearka screamed. "Even the legged ship can't do shit against that monster. Nicol's just saved our stinking asses, you want us to turn back and waste his effort?"

The communicators aboard the three mobile suits crackled to life, as Nicol Amalfi of the GAT-X207 Blitz piped up: _"Oi, Dearka, Yzak, shut the fuck up."_

"Nicol, NICOL!" Yzak yelled, pressing his face against the edge of his screen, crazed eyes goggling towards where Nicol hung limply from his ruined cockpit amidst the debris.

Nicol gave a giggle. _"I just swore for the first time in my life," _he chirped. _"It feels so damn good. Anyway, can't you two just stop arguing for once?"_

"Damn you, Nicol," Yzak sobbed. "You had to be the one who saves the day, hadn't you? Why can't you just be the coward we always thought you were?"

_"Aw, you flatter me, Yzak," _Nicol said. Hesitating, he then whispered, _"Damn it, I'm scared."_

The Aegis and Buster both stopped in unison and turned around, their pilots compelled to attest to their comrade's courage. Through their units' telephoto cameras, Athrun, Dearka, and Yzak bore their eyes upon EVA-01, and Nicol's cockpit, their right hands snapping to their temples in a salute even as tears flowed freely down their cheeks.

Eyes staring defiantly down at the chasm that was EVA-01's throat, Nicol's trembling fingers crawled up to the emergency release button located at the nape of his neck.

As twin rows of blunt teeth rose to engulf him, Nicol lowered his suit's visor and yelled, letting the vacuum consume him before EVA-01 did:

_"I am Nicol!"_

* * *

EVA-01's jaws clamped shut, swallowing the cockpit whole. The Aegis, Duel and Buster had all diminished into a trio of dots winking tantalisingly at the EVA, though it paid them no heed. Instead, it lowered its gaze, staring hatefully at its next target. The pilot of EVA-00, whom actually had the audacity to try and stop its onslaught.

And of course, the Strike would be next, followed by the _Archangel_.

Fury coursed through EVA-01 in one unstoppable tidal wave, overflowing into reality as its physical form sunk deeper into the abyss of hell.

A second pair of wings unravelled from the midsection of EVA-01's spine, the same shade of ivory as their broader counterparts one notch above. Two identical gaping holes melted into view side by side across EVA-01's chest, from inside which flopped out a spindly pair of arms, slimy and quivery like the hairless epidermis of a newborn mammal.

Amidst the bristling static, Shinji's wretched voice surfaced:

_"Fa … father …"_

"The last vestiges of the pilot's consciousness," Ritsuko breathed, to no one in particular. "Once the remnants have been annexed, EVA-01 will have obtained full autonomy … and ascended to Messenger status." Beside her, Maya buried her face in her hands, silent tears seeping through the seams between her fingers.

"Sync ration is at negative 75 and dropping!"

"Hundred's the limit," Ritsuko said. "We must suppress EVA-01 before the sync ratio drops to that point, or else all is lost."

Gendo strode up to Ritsuko's console, resetting the comms linkup to EVA-01. "Shinji," he began, his tone urgent. "Shinji, I know you can hear me. Answer me."

The manic rage from earlier was long gone; instead, intense pain now wracked Shinji's features, blue veins throbbing angrily across his temples and neck. _"It hurts," _Shinji whimpered. _"Father, it hurts."_

"Endure it," Gendo murmured. Outside the _Archangel_, EVA-00 and the Strike circled their target warily, weapons poised against the horned devil incarnate. "Endure it, Shinji, and rein EVA-01 in. It's the only way to stop the pain."

_"Father ... please ..."_

"Shinji," Gendo repeated. "You're the pilot of EVA-01. Only you can control it; no one else is as capable. We need you to do just that. We need you to stop EVA-01 from killing us all."

_"Save me," _Shinji panted, thrashing wildly about in his seat. _"Get me out of here! Father, save me!"_

"Synapses with the Entry Plug are all disconnecting! The EVA's gaining autonomy!"

"Rei! Kira!" Misato yelled. "Fall back! Fall back!"

EVA-01's jaws hung wide, and then it lunged, arms outstretched in vengeance against EVA-00.

"Shinji, stop it!" Gendo yelled. "Don't do it!"

_"GET ME OUT OF HERE, FATHER!" _Shinji shrieked. _"Father! MOM!"_

EVA-01 froze.

* * *

EVA-01 froze, claws mere centimetres away from EVA-00's chest.

Slowly, Misato rose from her seat, heart racing. "Do you hear that ..?" she wondered out loud.

A voice, dancing to the melodious waves of a familiar ballad:

_"In the quiet night, I'm waiting for you …"_

The cooing voice came from neither the speakers nor the consoles across the bridge. Rather, having no visible source, it seemed to be omnipresent, like the air across the confines of the _Archangel_. It was a voice that was utterly pure, unadulterated by the electronic additives inadvertently speckled by amplifiers and microphones.

"It is Lacus' song," Natarle murmured. "Where is it coming from?"

Indeed, 'In the Quiet Night' it was, as composed by Lacus Clyne, in _a cappella _rendition by a different performer altogether. This disparate voice was one that was softer, more fragile, and yet just as beautiful as the original. If both voices were the wind, then Lacus' would be the unyielding squall that ruffled the thick canopies of great trees, and this enigmatic one the hesitant breeze that played amongst lines of laundry. If they were that of the world's waters, then Lacus' would be the waves that shaped the lands, and this the gentle ripples that frolicked along lakes and pools.

_"At the place where stars fall, I'm yearning for your smile …"_

_The voice, _Misato thought with a start. _It sounds just like Rei's. Is she the one singing?_

"Look," Maya cried out. "EVA-01."

Everyone watched in stunned belief as EVA-01's arms drooped, the fiendish glow in its beady eyes diminishing in the same flickering motion as candlelight in its throes of death. Its vile wings withered, then crumbled to dust, as with the macabre arms that had metastasised from its chest like virulent tumours.

_"To the place where stars fall, our hopes will finally meet …"_

"Amazing," Shigeru murmured. "The syncograph's reverting to its original values. Mental contamination is receding!"

EVA-00 and the Strike lurched forward, catching EVA-01 by its arms as it fell limp.

"EVA-01's pilot?" Misato called out.

"He's unconscious now, but his vital signs are within normal ranges," Makoto replied. "He's alive, at the very least."

"Rei, Kira," Misato said. "Can you land?"

_"Captain," _Rei piped up over the radio, _"our units are no longer capable of landing manoeuvres into the _Archangel_." _Burdened with the extra weight of the inanimate EVA-01, both EVA-00 and the Strike had long succumbed to Earth's gravitational pull, plummeting to an altitude below the _Archangel_'s reach. It was all they could do to slow their descent down to a trickle.

"No matter," Misato said. "We will adjust the ship's trajectory to intercept yours. All you have to do is throw us a line, and we will reel you in." Such was a manoeuvre that would have the _Archangel_'s course deviate even further from her original route to Orb, but as things went it was the only viable option left to take, short of abandoning both EVAs and the Strike altogether.

"Katsuragi, we need to hurry," Natarle urged. "The internal temperatures across all three units are rising, the Strike especially." While EVA-00's AT Field, having formed a protective bubble around the EVA itself, continued to shimmer brilliantly like a young star across Earth's horizon, the Strike and EVA-01 looked the worse for wear, the intense heat having taken a toll on their hulls, or what was left of it in Shinji's case. As the last vestiges of EVA-01's AT Field sputtered and palpitated, the areas left uncovered began to incinerate alive, tiny wisps of smoke billowing from where sparks had sprouted and ignited against the EVA's exposed flesh.

"Nothing the Entry Plug and LCL can't handle," Misato said. "_Archangel_, begin phase two of atmospheric descent in eight seconds. I want a medical team on standby at the hangar ASAP ready to intercept all three pilots. Priority for medical attention is as follows: Shinji, Kira, then Rei."

"Leave the triage to me," Ritsuko announced, turning to leave the bridge with Gendo trailing behind soon after.

Breaths were held as the _Archangel_ slammed on her pneumatic brakes, surrendering her entire frame to Earth's thrall. She began to drop, dipping beyond EVA-00's altitude, after which she opened her launch shafts up wide, like the leaves of a Venus flytrap in anticipation of its prey.

The Strike took aim, firing the magnetic grappler mounted underneath the barrel of its rifle. The grappler itself connected with an electromagnetic receiver located midway into the launch shaft, and once Kira had ascertained the connection was a secure one he activated the reel.

EVA-00 released EVA-01's arm, swinging over to the portside shaft as the steel cable wrenched both the Strike and Shinji's EVA into the starboard-side one. Right before he crashed into the runway, Kira released the grappler and reopened his thrusters, slowing the Strike down enough for a lithe tumble into the titanium fibre crash net the hangar crew had wound across the entire width of the shaft.

_"All units intercepted," _reported Murdoch. _"Both lads are out at the moment, and they look like hell, the gods bless them."_

"Rei?"

_"She looks pale, but honestly I think the girl just needs more sun. She looks steady on her feet, so I let her tag along with the boys to the 99."_

Misato's shoulder sagged. "Thanks a million, Ko," she said.

_"Stop calling me that! Anyway, frankly speaking, them pilots are the least of our worries now. Assuming that you don't want to lock EVA-01 down just yet, how the hell are we going to repair that monster? With the resources we have now, it'd be a miracle to even get it to stand!"_

"To be honest, Ko, I'm not really concerned about that either," Misato said grimly, as she gazed fixedly at the twin doors through which Ritsuko had exited the bridge not too long ago.

* * *

**15 February, CE 71**

The twin doors to the bridge hissed open and Misato entered, making straight for the centre where Natarle stood before a three-dimensional revolving holograph of Earth.

"Where is everyone?" Misato asked, surveying her deserted surroundings.

"I had the entire bridge stand down for one hour," Natarle replied. "A little break for everyone to wash up, eat a proper meal, and take a nap before resuming duty. Sorry for not discussing it with you, but you were away."

"Commander Ikari called for an emergency meeting with the NERV staff. I'm fine with it, actually," Misato said. "But what about you?"

"There's something I wanted to discuss with you first," Natarle said, gesturing towards the 3D globe. "Mainly, our whereabouts, and of course, EVA-01."

"Ever the workaholic, aren't you?" Misato said. "OK, one thing at a time. Firstly, where the hell are we?"

"Over here," Natarle spoke up, aiming a laser pointer at a spot in the northern hemisphere. "35° 41' north, 139° 46' east. Japan, the land of the rising sun from whence Orb's founders came from. To be precise, a mountainous region to the south of Hokkaido, near where the borders of the Hiyama and Oshima subprefectures meet."

"Japan, eh?" Misato said thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, it got caught in a nuclear crossfire during the Reconstruction War. We must be in the middle of a wasteland right now."

"For some reason, that does not seem to be the case, at least for this part of the archipelago," Natarle said. "Initial scans in a thirty-kilometre radius found radiation levels to be within safe levels. Also, the pictures and videos we took using the telephoto cameras showed that the surrounding flora and fauna are actually flourishing."

"Human activity? I probably wouldn't mind if Godzilla showed up now, but I'm sure as hell I don't want to see another GINN or G weapon for the next seventy-two hours."

Natarle allowed herself a small smile at that. "Nope," she said, shaking her head. "As far as the _Archangel_ is concerned, we're the only humans left for miles."

Misato heaved a sigh of relief. "That's certainly the best news we had in a while," she said. "The _Archangel_ will step up to level two battle stations in an hour's time, and then we will adhere to the work-rest rota we adopted back at Junius Seven."

"Understood."

"And now, for the elephant in the room," Misato said wearily. "The commander has issued a Level 0 lockdown order on EVA-01."

"Level 0?"

"Yeah, the highest contingency measure for any Evangelion that goes out of humanity's control," Misato continued morbidly. "With effect immediately, EVA-01 has been quarantined and restrained with special Bakelite. Additionally, Shinji's Entry Plug will be sealed and all crew prohibited from trespassing in a ten-metre radius around it."

"EVA-01 won't be able to sortie from now on, then?"

Misato shook her head. "Not even in anti-Angel operations. We have no choice, actually," she said. "The risk of EVA-01 running berserk a third time is too great. We wouldn't know how to stop it if it happens again. That the EVA managed to calm itself down when it did was really a miracle."

"Wasn't it Ayanami's voice we heard?"

"It sounds like hers, but Rei said she wasn't the one singing at that time," Misato said, running a hand through her hair. "Ritsuko and Ikari seem to know what the hell is going on, but they are keeping mum about it."

"After all that everyone has been through?" Natarle said, voice rising. "How could they?"

Misato slumped down against the steps leading up to the topmost level of the bridge. "Frankly speaking," she said, "I'm not that hard pressed for answers right now. Between running this ship and taking care of Shinji, I really don't have much energy left for other matters."

"How is he?"

"He's still out now, but there will be hell to pay when he wakes up," Misato said hollowly. "Whether of his own volition or not, nobody can deny the fact that he killed that ZAFT pilot with his own hands. Hell, he was conscious throughout the entire battle; what are the chances that he would forget the entire thing, how EVA-01 _ate_ that pilot alive?"

Natarle sat down next to Misato on the steel steps, and touched her shoulder. "Shinji is very likely to recall the entire ordeal, but you're his guardian, right?" she said. "You'll help him get through it."

"Can I do it?" Misato said. "I … I don't even understand Shinji well enough. His scars, his past, his values … I knew him no better now than when we first met in Heliopolis. How could I possibly make any difference?"

"Even if that might be true, you still have to do it, because the only alternative is death," Natarle said. "You and I know that very well. If you don't even try, the trauma will kill him."

"I'll keep that in mind. But in the meantime …" Natarle squirmed uncomfortably, as Misato let her head drop down against her shoulder.

"Ka-Katsuragi! What in the world are you doing?!"

"Shhh," Misato shushed. "You gave our crew one hour, all I'm asking from you is five minutes. Lend me your shoulder for five minutes, and then I'll be ready to face reality again … I hope."

"Alright, five minutes it is," Natarle relented. "And in case you've forgotten the telling off I gave you last night, as captain your responsibility is to share your burden with your crew. Especially the vice-captain."

Misato gave a tiny giggle. "You know, I never imagined I'd be telling you this," she then said with a serene smile, "but thank you, Natarle. Thank you very much."

* * *

Once her watch struck one for lunch, Miriallia packed her tools up, heading for the showers instead of straight to the dining hall like everyone else.

It was all troublesome, showering even before the day ended, taking precious minutes off the time she was rationed for a meal and rest, and what's more, she was just going to end up all filthy again when she returned to work after lunch. But it was either that or get banned completely from entry into the medical unit, wary as the medics over there were of their patients catching something if she entered smothered in dirt, oil and sweat.

Miriallia ran into Sai at the lift lobby, showered and dressed in a freshly laundered set of uniform. "Hiya," she chirped. "Off to see Kira too?"

"Yep. Rough day today?" Sai said, as Miriallia stretched her neck, wincing as a loud _CRACK _resounded.

"You don't say. I envy Flay, she got herself up and transferred to the 99," Miriallia moaned. "It's definitely got to be easier there than what we're doing right now."

"Well, it's not just us that's having manpower shortages," Sai said. "Flay's studying medicine, so naturally the MO would want her. Though why she would want to major in emergency care in the first place is beyond me …"

Being a year older than Sai and his friends, Flay was already in her second year of med school when they enrolled in JTU. Sai recalled fondly of a time a few months ago when Flay had gone up to him in the middle of the cafeteria, scrubs, stethoscope and all, and promptly declared in front of everyone: _You look like you've puny nuts, dammit. How the fuck are you supposed to be my fiancé?_

They entered the medical unit, rounding into ward 1C where they found Flay conversing in hushed tones with the medical officer, Captain (Dr) Akira Toyama of NERV-Life. As they padded cautiously into the ward, Flay broke off from the conversation with a slight nod of her head and headed over to Kira's bedside, where she returned to an earlier task of sponging his feverish body.

"Good afternoon, folks," the beefy doctor said cheerily, dragging out two stools from a corner of the ward. "Here, have a seat."

"Thanks, doc," Sai said. "How's Kira doing?"

"Truth be told," Dr Akira said, consulting his tablet, "there really is nothing to worry about. Mr Yamato's running a high fever, upward of thirty-nine degrees, but since there's no infection all we have to do is just replenish his bodily fluids and wait for it to run its course."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it," Dr Akira said, placing his tablet on his lap. "Let me explain: the human body is an extremely durable structure, capable of enduring harsh and extreme conditions through sheer willpower alone. But a _Coordinator_'s body is a whole new world from the rest of us Naturals."

Pausing to take a sip from his water bottle, Dr Akira then continued, "With today's technology, parents can select the sort of enhancements they want to see in their children. The one augmentation that is bound to be included in every single package enhancement clinics care to churn out, however, is that of physical durability, which for one ensures that all Coordinators _never _fall sick due to pathogenic infections for the majority of their extended lives, and for the other promises a sturdy body that can withstand anything Mother Nature would care to throw at them."

"That might not necessarily be a good thing," Sai said with a chuckle. "I mean, all these years Kira has always been bitching to us how he could never get sick leave from school."

"That's one way to look at it," Dr Akira said with a lopsided grin, as he rose from his seat. "A pretty good way, I think. Well, I'll be leaving you all for a bit. If you have anything else to ask feel free to consult Miss Allster." With that, he turned and exited the ward.

Sai and Miriallia scooted over to Flay's side. "How's the way of the medic going for you?" Miriallia said with a grin.

"It really is easier in here," Flay said with a cackle. "All I've done for the past few hours is change Kira's and Shinji's IVs. I really should have requested the transfer a long while ago."

Miriallia made a face. "Glad to see that you're enjoying yourself," she said, sticking out her tongue. "Where's Shinji, anyway? The other wards were empty when we came here just now."

Flay pointed at the empty bed by the other side of the ward, saying, "That's Shinji's bed. The blonde prof pulled him out for an examination fifteen minutes ago. Thing is, even though he's perfectly fine now, he hasn't recovered from his coma yet. I think Blondie knows what's wrong with him, but she is sure as fuck going to tell no shit to any of us."

Miriallia winced. "Seriously," she said, "will it kill you to be less uncouth?"

"But I like to swear," Flay said, giggling. "You should try it too."

"Count me out." Miriallia crinkled her nose.

Chuckling at the girls' exchange, Sai stood up. "Milly, we got to go," he said.

Miriallia consulted her watch and groaned. "We'll drop by again tonight, Flay," she said, dragging herself to her feet. "And then maybe you could issue me some sick leave while we're at it."

"I'm just an intern here, you know," Flay said, winking. "Not qualified enough, sorry."

Sai bent down and tapped Kira's shoulder with his fist. "See you later, mate," he said. Then he turned around to face Flay, reaching out to touch her hand and saying in an affectionate tone, "Don't overwork yourself …"

He froze, as Flay subsequently cringed away sharply from his outstretched hand as if it had been scalding hot water.

"Flay?"

"Sorry," Flay mumbled, staring down at her hands. "I'm still a bit … jumpy, after all that has, you know, happened."

"No, no, it's OK," Sai murmured, sounding more confused than hurt. "I … I will come back after I get off work. I can help out here too, if Dr Akira is alright with it."

"You shouldn't," Flay blurted. "I mean, you need to take care of yourself, and not overwork. There are not many patients around; I'll be fine by myself."

"OK, if you say so. Would you like to have dinner together, then?"

Flay shook her head, eyes still fixed to the ground. "No, I think I'll takeaway and eat here," she said in a low voice. "Kira's temperature is still fluctuating, so I don't want to be away for too long."

Sai's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "I, uh, see," he stammered. "In that case, I will, um, see you around."

He left the ward, together with a nonplussed Miriallia. At the door he turned, but Flay was still staring at her hands with an unfathomable expression on her face, as if determined to not even lay an eye on her fiancé.

* * *

A loud cry escaped through Shinji's parched lips as his eyes flashed open, cold sweat trickling down his neck.

"You're awake!"

Cried out a voice to Shinji's left. The bright light from the fluorescent strips stabbed at his retinas, blinding him. A sterile white world was all that greeted him as he held his eyes wide open. The voice rang out deafeningly, the vibrations coursing through Shinji's eardrums and across his brain, jolting it about in the cramped confined of his skull.

Shinji retched. As his vision began returning, he briefly caught a glimpse of a metal bucket by his side, and immediately he leant over and promptly threw up in it. He was dimly aware of a hand gently patting his back as he coughed and rasped, the foul taste of bile staining both his mouth and memory.

None too soon, the concussion began to clear, and Shinji finally regained the full functionality of his eyes. He looked up, into Flay's concerned face.

"Are you alright?"

"Ye-yeah," stumbled Shinji. "I'm sorry."

"Here," Flay said, brandishing out a paper cup of cool water. "Wash your mouth with this."

Shinji gargled, then spat out the water into the bucket. Flay stood up, grasping the edge of the bucket. "I'll clean this up," she said. "Be right back."

After she was finished with the unenviable task of sterilising the bucket, Flay exited the bathroom and returned to the ward, where she saw Shinji struggling to rise from his bed. "That won't do!" she said, rushing forward to push Shinji back down gently. "You just woke up; one thing at a time, alright?"

"Sorry …" Shinji mumbled. "Flay … where am I?"

"The medical unit," Flay answered. "You were unconscious when they pulled you in last night."

"Pulled … me in? From where?"

"Why, EVA-01, of course," Flay said. "Don't you remember?"

Shinji scrunched up his eyes, searching. "No," he said miserably in the end.

"We were attacked, by ZAFT," said Flay, spitting out the last word. "You and that Ayanami girl were dispatched in your EVAs. Rings any bell?"

"I … I remember Misato talking with Ayanami, Kira, and me," Shinji muttered. "Then, after that …"

From that period of time till now, 15 February CE 71, 2030 hours shipboard time, the section of the cranial archive that was Shinji's memory remained defiantly blank. No, rather, it was as if a pitch-black cloud had settled over it, encasing and obscuring the contents completely from Shinji's view.

"Don't overdo it if you really cannot remember," Flay said reassuringly, squeezing Shinji's arm. "Right now all you need to do is rest."

"Actually, I think I'm feeling better now. If it's alright with you, may I go back to my room?" Shinji said apologetically, flexing his limbs tentatively. "I ... I don't like it here; I'm sorry."

Flay smiled in reply. "Sure you can," she said. "But let me get the captain down here first, OK?"

Misato arrived ten minutes later. Flay, who was still uncomfortable in her presence, had vacated the ward beforehand.

"Hi, Misato," Shinji greeted.

"How are you feeling?" Misato said, sitting herself on the edge of Shinji's bed.

"I'm OK now, but my mind's still a blank," Shinji said. "I can't seem to remember anything that has happened since yesterday."

There was an unfathomable expression on Misato's face as she replied, "That doesn't matter. Ritsuko said that memory loss would be but a temporary side effect … after all that has happened."

"After … all that has happened?" It was then that Shinji, for the first time since he regained consciousness, felt that, perhaps, it would be better if his missing memories didn't return at all.

"We'll save that for later," Misato said firmly. "Right now, I want you to sleep, and sleep tight. No excuses, because your twelve hour-long coma certainly doesn't count."

Shinji nodded meekly. "OK."

Beside Shinji's bed, Kira was snoozing on his own, seeming more tranquil than he did a few hours before. Misato went up to his bed, adjusting his blanket.

"How's Kira?" Shinji asked tentatively.

"His fever's finally dropping," Misato said. "Flay was down here with you two throughout the day. If I had known of her medical background, I'd have her posted here instead. At the very least, it would have spared me more than two weeks' worth of grief from that whiny Akira."

Chuckling to herself, Misato headed over to the door, beckoning over to Shinji.

"Shall we?"

His legs still a tad shaky, Shinji half-limped through the doorway to the corridors of the medical unit, where he found, to his utmost surprise, Rei standing erect there.

"Good evening, Ikari."

Swallowing, Shinji replied, "He-hello, Ayanami."

They left the medical unit, Misato and Shinji trotting in front while Rei followed closely behind silently and stealthily.

At the lift lobby, Shinji whispered, "Um, Misato?"

"Hm?"

"Why is Ayanami following us?"

It was the one thing the two had in common, Misato had long since realised so, their social ineptitude. "Why don't you ask her?" she said with an exasperated smile.

The lift arrived with a tinny _ding_, and the motley trio trooped in. As they descended to the living quarters level, Shinji made a step back to Rei's left.

"He-hey, Ayanami."

"Ikari," acknowledged Rei.

"Uhhh," Shinji continued, struggling with words. "Where are you headed?"

Rei's head swivelled, her piercingly red irises locking with Shinji's eyes. "I'm not convinced that your physique has recovered sufficiently from the previous exposure," she said bluntly. "It was a decision I had made on a personal level to keep track of your health, at least until you've reached the safety of your room."

"I'm fine," Shinji insisted. "Really."

Rei turned back. "We'll see."

"But thanks anyway," Shinji added with a benign smile. "I appreciate it, Ayanami."

At Shinji's last statement, Rei gave a start, but made no further comment.

The lift grinded to a halt shortly after, and they alighted, making the half minute-long walk to Misato's and Shinji's bunk. When they reached the door, Rei spoke.

"Ikari, are you still well?"

"Perfectly," Shinji answered immediately, swinging his arms in full circles as declaration of his health.

Rei nodded. "Very well," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait … where are you going, Ayanami?"

Rei replied, "I've ascertained that my fellow EVA pilot is fit to resume duty. Having fulfilled my objectives, I am merely taking my leave back to my room."

"Is … that so?" Shinji's face fell, at a loss for words. Then he blurted, "But … ahh, why don't you, uh, stay on for a while?"

"What for?" Rei said, blinking at Shinji curiously.

"I, um, got to thank you for coming all the way, right? Yes, that's right!" Shinji said haltingly. "So come in and have a seat. I'll make everyone a drink. Is ginger tea alright with you?"

Rei hesitated, then said, "That would be nice."

Nodding vigorously, Shinji said, before darting into the room, "I'll be done in a jiffy!"

"Hey, Shinji," Misato called from the back of the room by her desk. "I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"Nothing, really, just that I found this when I was retrieving your clothes from your locker this morning," Misato said, holding out a crumpled paper flower by the stalk. "Is this yours?"

For a moment, Shinji only stared uncomprehendingly at the flower.

That moment later, it all came crashing down.

* * *

Shinji remembered.

A little girl, presenting to him the delicate paper flower, which she had folded herself —

Thanking him for protecting everyone to the best of his ability —

The same girl, consumed by the inferno as the Duel fired on her shuttle in a bout of frustration —

A putrid rage, rising within him like a tsunami, unquenchable and unstoppable —

Calling upon him to destroy the loathsone machine, to murder its pilot, as he had did to all the innocent people inside that shuttle —

_Yes, _Shinji had concluded at that time. _He will die._

_I will kill him._

He would show that accursed pilot how it felt to have his miserable life snuffed out at a mere whim of others.

And yet, even as he sought what he thought to be righteous revenge, he had acted in exactly the same way.

The Blitz's pilot was just trying to protect his comrade. Sufficiently, his actions weren't outright hostile. And yet —

As the Duel scarpered, Shinji wrecked his anger upon the Blitz, just like the Duel's pilot had done to the refugee shuttle, rendering it asunder.

Right down to its cockpit —

And then consuming the pilot whole —

Relishing in the pleasure —

* * *

Shinji fell onto his knees.

"Shinji ..?"

He began to scream, the sound first issuing through his lips in a helpless whimper, morphing the next moment into a depraved howl that resonated across the room and Misato's and Rei's hearts, shattering the very foundations of their souls like the post-Second Impact megaquakes had to some of the greatest of mankind's metropolises as they swept across the lands mercilessly.

"Shinji, Shinji!" Misato cried out as she rushed forward and knelt by Shinji's side, grabbing his shoulders, as he choked on his own broken sobs, pearly tears flowing freely. "Shinji, it's alright now … it's alright now …"

Misato wound her arms around his shoulders, drawing him in a tight embrace, all the while cooing, again and again, "It's alright now … it's alright now. I'm here, I'm here."

As Shinji cried himself to sleep in Misato's arms, Rei padded tentatively up forth, an apprehensive expression on her face. Slowly, but surely, she knelt down on the floor beside Shinji.

Impulsively, she took his hand with both of hers. Then she wound her fingers around Shinji's, and as she did so, a single tear trickled from her eye.

Her lips part.

"I won't fail again," Rei whispered. "I will protect you, Ikari. This time, you'll truly be safe."

TO BE CONTINUED in PHASE-18: Cagalli Returns

* * *

A few words:

A/N: I'm not sure what the general response to this chapter would be. If you have anything you'd like to comment on, just shoot. I'm but an amateur writer, after all. There are bound to be errors or expression flaws in the chapters I post.

A/N 2: Like I mentioned above, I always try to reply to reviews wherever possible. However, I can only do that if you log in with a FF account. I do not like to post replies to comments in the story page itself, because I'm sure that most would find it irritating to have to scroll through chunk after chunk of replies before getting to the story proper.

A/N 3: PHASE-18 will be published on **28 July 2013**. I'll be pretty busy this month, so I have opted to give myself one week's grace. My apologies for that.


	18. Cagalli Returns

**EDIT: I suppose I must make myself clear, as controversial as this chapter is (as compared to the previous ones). The Code Geass arc of the story will only last as long as the Desert Dawn one did in the original Gundam SEED series. The reason I made this mini crossover because I am more familiar with Japanese culture and geography than that of North Africa, and I just wanted a fresh new take on the Cagalli arc of the story. This arc will only last 2 or 3 chapters.**

A/N: This is two days late, but do allow me to apologise.

* * *

Gundam SEED New Theatrical Version

PHASE-18: Cagalli Returns

**16 February, CE 71**

The twin doors to the _Archangel_'s bridge hissed open, and Natarle sauntered in. "Time for my shift," she announced. "Begone, Katsuragi."

"Oh, don't mind me," Misato said. "I'll just finish up and disappear."

Natarle made for the pilot's console, where Arnold Neumann sat making adjustments to the controls. "For you," she said, handing over a water bottle.

"Thanks, ma'am," Neumann said absent-mindedly, taking a sip from the straw and subsequently releasing it in mid-air, causing it to tumble to the ground with a loud THUD.

"Try and remember, Ensign Neumann," Natarle said exasperatedly, "that we're no longer in a weightless environment." She bent down to retrieve the bottle, handing it back to Neumann.

"My apologies, ma'am," Neumann said with an air of embarrassment. "Oh, I forgot to ask …"

"What is it?"

"Nothing much, it just suddenly crossed my mind, but where have we landed?" Neumann asked. "I was still on standby, so I didn't attend the briefing earlier."

Natarle strode to the holographic projector in the middle of the bridge, activating it and bringing up a familiar-looking 3D projection of Mother Earth. Pointing a finger at one corner of the northern hemisphere, she then said, "The _Archangel_ has made landfall over here. The archipelago of Japan, does that name ring a bell?"

"No, sorry."

Natarle explained, "Before we officially adopted the Cosmic Era calendar, the Orb Union was simply known as 'Japan', or 'Nippon', as directly lifted from the national language."

"So what you're saying is …"

"Half a decade before the end of the Reconstruction Years," Natarle said, "the Japanese made the radical decision to execute a nationwide evacuation of their home islands to Orb, then known as the Izanawa Archipelago. As Japanese politics evolved over the years, the Nippon Beikoku (日本米国) — the official translation being, 'Republic of the United States of Japan' — soon became what we know today as the United Emirates of Orb."

"To do something so drastic as to abandon your homeland altogether …" Neumann mused. "How did they even begin to _plan_ the programme, anyway?"

"The blueprints for the entire evacuation and resettlement project had its roots in as far back as the start of the second millennium AD, more than 120 years ago," Natarle answered. "The archipelago itself is overwhelmingly mountainous, with an uncomfortable majority of the land non-arable, and little natural resources. The Ichinose Report was first drafted during Prime Minister Aoyama Masaharu's administration in the year 2003 AD, and remained a top government secret until the Reconstruction Years between 2043 and 2055 AD."

Natarle fiddled with the projector controls, and instantly the globe morphed, with numerous bold lines emerging and interconnecting to divide the hovering sphere into a set number of sections, with each section assigned a different colour from the projector's limited palette. "The Japanese home islands are located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, in a zone of extreme crustal instability near where the edges of the Eurasian and Filipino tectonic plates meet," she then continued. "The objective of Project Ichinose, borne of the recommendations set by the Ichinose Committee, was as follows: to secure an uninhabited part of the world with a significantly less occurrence rate of debilitating earthquakes and tsunamis, to which the entire nation could transmigrate.

"But the last straw wasn't the 9.0 Chugoku earthquake in 2030 AD, nor was it the large-scale eruption of Mt. Aso in 2032," Natarle continued. "Instead, it was the type S4 pandemic, the one that stopped the Reconstruction War, and of course, started many others, that finally compelled the government to begin the move."

"The type S4 pandemic …" Misato murmured from atop her post. "It was the worst ever in human history. The only event to have topped it in the death toll was Second Impact. Entire nations have fallen because of just one virus. Iceland, Pakistan, Iran, to name a few. Even Europe and the US barely made it."

"And it was the same pathogen that catalysed the rise of many others," Natarle added. "For instance, the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations, consolidated from the territories of North America and Europe respectively. Cuba, the world's third largest economy after the Atlantic and Eurasia. Orb, from a Third World refugee island seventy years ago to the most powerful sovereign nation in the world today. Nobody would have thought —"

Misato yawned loudly, causing everyone in the vicinity to wince. "OK, time to crash," she said to no one in particular. "Good night, everyone, or should I say, good morn —"

WHRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

The recalcitrant wailing of the sirens cut Misato off abruptly, followed by sharp simultaneous outbursts of foul-mouthed swearing all across the rest of the bridge.

"I know, I know, no need to tell me, we're being locked on again!" Misato burst out. "You all know the drill. All hands to level two battle stations!"

"Victory waits for no one, the least our enemies," Natarle said under her breath. Straightening up, she instructed, "Prepare siege contingency scheme AA023. The _Archangel_ can't fly yet, so what we need to do until then is to stay alive!"

"Ko!" Misato barked into her headset. "Are the Strike and Skygrasper units operational?"

"_Not the Skygraspers, no," _Kojiro Murdoch shot back. _"We'll need at least an hour more before they are combat-ready!"_

"That won't do. Forget the Skygraspers for now, and have your team concentrate on the Strike and EVA-00," Misato ordered. "Kira, Rei, standby for launch."

Trapped in a tight valley between two ridges, the _Archangel_ was a sitting duck against this fresh assault against her. Concealed behind the surrounding mountains and a sizzling shroud of N-Jammer interference, the enemy was virtually invisible to both the ship's cameras and scanners.

The first act of the skirmish commenced with the emergence of a trio of attack choppers round a crag. Deadly and precise, the Striker line of assault helicopters had remained relevant in today's mobile suit-dominated battlefield with its lightning agility, making it a choice craft for both reconnaissance and sabotage missions.

Brow furrowing, Misato reviewed her options. By dispatching just a single team of three aircraft, the enemy was evidently not striving to sink the _Archangel_, not yet, but to assess her capabilities. That would mean that the essential intel pertaining to the ship, EVAs, and Strike had yet to be disseminated in full, that the enemy they were facing now didn't have the full picture of what the _Archangel_ was truly capable of.

That said, however, the _Archangel_'s armaments were intended for the delay, injury or elimination of more massive, and naturally slower, targets such as cruisers, carriers, frigates, destroyers, and Angels. The Strikers, like any other fighter craft, were a warship's worst nightmare, swift, and in turn immensely, even impossibly, difficult to score even one hit against with the _Archangel_'s arsenal: heavy cannons, railguns, long range rockets and missiles.

The telephoto cameras and sonar told Misato that the ship was entrenched in a deep valley, surrounded by tall, imposing mountains. The terrain was rocky and merciless, dictated by a myriad of glaciated crests and pitfalls. To deploy the humanoid, and consequently clumsy, Strike in such a harsh environment would be nothing short of suicidal. Misato had no desire to expose the EVAs more than they already were, and the Skygraspers were unarmed. The only available route she saw at that time was to kickstart the _Archangel_'s idle engines, and make a stand for until they had regained enough momentum to initiate takeoff.

But even after they had taken to the skies, where could they go? That the enemy had commenced this blatant assault of their own volition meant that they were confident that they possessed enough leverage over the _Archangel_, in numbers, firepower, or even both. Misato no doubt that the enemy had garnered its entire force behind the encompassing mountain range, blockading every single escape route that their commanders could think of.

_One thing at a time, _Misato told herself sternly, _one thing at a time. _If the enemy had choked off all the lifelines that the topography provided, then they would just had to carve one out themselves. Firstly, however, the _Archangel_ needed to fly. Because only when she had risen to the skies could she spread her wings to their fullest glory, and strike back with the true wrath of the gods' messengers she was named after.

"Captain, a message from the Strike."

Kira's face flickered on Misato's console, exuding defiance and a dour impatience. _"Hurry and open the hatch!" _he demanded. _"The Strike is launching!"_

"We still don't know the size and location of the enemy forces," Natarle countered. "At this rate, without even basic intel, the Strike will be ineffective out in the field!"

"_If intel's all that you need, then I'll go get it for you!"_ Kira snapped back. _"So open that damn hatch and let me out!"_

"If he wants so badly to be cannon fodder than let him," Misato barked from atop her post. "Flip that bloody hatch and kick him out of the ship! If he dares to return in one piece I'll personally butcher him!"

Natarle nodded, speaking, "Chief Petty Murdoch, all green for GAT-X105 Strike. Kira Yamato, standby for launch in Strike Launcher configuration."

Gravity and atmospheric resistance were the twin banes of any humanoid mobile suit, thus over the course of the war a plethora of equipment had been developed to circumvent those, from simple thruster backpacks to experimental anti-gravity float systems. The Strike's Aile Striker Pack was one of such systems designed to bestow additional manoeuvrability in Earth's punishing ecosphere, but agility was just what Natarle intended to deprive Kira of for this battle.

The Launcher Striker Pack had no external engines, and the usage of the heavy weaponry interspersed throughout the backpack necessitated the anchoring of the Strike itself to the ground to reduce recoil. It didn't take a psychologist to discern that Kira was not in the best states of mind right then, what with his sudden tenacity to propel himself out to the battlefield as compared to his battle-averse disposition before. The Launcher's weapons had superior range and spread, enough to keep the _Archangel_'s assaulters at bay; at the same time, it would ensure that Kira remained sufficiently grounded and discouraged from attempting anything stupidly reckless that he had long since shown a disturbing propensity to commit.

As the Strike landed on a craggy hill its knees buckled immediately, as if it could no longer support its own weight. A misguided attempt to right itself went disastrously awry as it slipped on the ice, tumbling headfirst into a petite forest of conifers, flattening the hapless swathe of trees there instantly.

If everyone had expected the assault choppers to pounce on the stricken Strike like carrion flies upon a corpse, they had their words stuffed in their mouths as the Strikes themselves backed away humbly, leaving behind a void in the horizon and the briefest of intermissions before the curtain rose again.

Out emerged an entire horde of multiped machines, the cybernetic units all cookie-cutter caricatures of the same canine predator species, their hulls all mounted with arrays bristling with tactical equipment and weapon pods. They are the BuCUEs, four-legged variants of the basic GINN hull developed specifically for terrestrial combat, the quadruped design giving the machines greater balance, mobility and adaptability to harsh land terrains than any other mobile suit model. It was six of these land warriors that flanked the Strike as they negotiated across the rugged landscape with almost sloth-like effort, the pink solitary headlight atop their heads winking sneeringly.

The pods across the spines of the BuCUE units then flared open, systematically spitting out minute fragmentation pellets that detonated on contact, blasting out shrapnel that bounced jarringly off the Strike's Phase Shift armour, the impact jostling Kira roughly about in his seat. A BuCUE's pods were interchangeable, adding versatility to a machine already well favoured amongst its peers, and notorious across the ranks of its enemies, for its capability to operate in virtually all types of land tactical environments. In the frontlines BuCUEs were typically outfitted with fragmentation pods and mid-range railguns, but those can be swapped over with far-reaching Copperhead missiles and HIMARS rockets during bombardment missions, or even beam sabres for contingency melees.

Lunging upwards, the Strike then opened its thrusters wide, catapulting itself fifty metres into the air and well out of the enemy's reach. Wasting no time, Kira immediately brought up his hyper impulse cannon, readying the first charge —

Only to miss spectacularly as Kira's target scampered nimbly away, the blast blossoming in one giant furling inferno that immolated the grove there, leaving not a shred of life behind. The Strike's engines, puny booster drives not designed for altitude maintenance, had already begun to overheat, compelling Kira to touch back down on the ground, where the Strike's feet once against found zilch purchase against the treacherous terrain. The Strike toppled, collapsing sideways straight into the enemy's killzone.

Natarle burst out, "Fire Sledgehammers!"

"We'll hit the Strike!" Romero Pal spluttered.

"The PS armour is sturdy enough to take a few direct hits!" Natarle shot back. "Now do as I say. As things are right now, that kid doesn't stand a chance!"

The _Archangel_'s missile pods let fly, raining an entire volley of Sledgehammer warheads down upon the battlefield, the shaped charges sending crippling shockwave upon shockwave coruscating across the valley. The initial explosions pulverised the rocks littering ground zero completely, the vapours of unspent fuel igniting against the surrounding woodlands faster than the Strike could clench its fist.

A single BuCUE unit was the sole casualty arising from the carnage, having fallen victim to a direct hit from not one, but two of the rockets. As a passing squall shooed away the worst of the noxious black smoke, only the Strike was left standing erect amidst the smouldering craters, its armour simmering faintly after having taking the brunt of the _Archangel_'s onslaught.

It was then, as he lay heaving and gasping in the pilot's seat, that Kira realised,

_No, I can't win this._

* * *

The situation was hopeless. With the Strike as it was, Kira had no chance of survival, let alone victory, against his five remaining adversaries, veterans as they were with an innate knowledge of the surrounding topography and affluence of piloting experience that he could never hope to match.

The current GAT-X105 Strike couldn't defeat its enemies. But what if a different unit was out in the fray instead?

The main problem was the battlefield itself. The Hokkaido mountainside was craggy to a fault, and together with a frustrating randomness to the gradient of the land it became exceptionally arduous for any large bipedal machine to maintain its balance on. The height of the Strike itself became a lethal design flaw on land, resulting in a towering centre of gravity that served to only augment its awkwardness in the field. However, if Kira managed to circumvent all of that …

A quick survey of the Strike's scanners told Kira that less than thirty seconds was all that spanned between him and the BuCUEs' attack ranges. He acknowledged that grim fact with a mere clench of his jaw. Twenty seconds were all that he needed for the task at hand.

Scrolling the Perspex keyboard out from the main dashboard, Kira began to type, embarking on an extensive chain of program tasks beginning with a quick reboot of the Strike's operating system. Precious micro-seconds trickled past as the following words flowed down across the screen:

MOBILE SUIT OPERATING SYSTEM

GAT-X105 STRIKE

Version NV8-N099

General

Unilateral

Neuro-Link

Dispersive

Autonomic

Manoeuvre

G.U.N.D.A.M. Synthesis System

"Gundam …" Kira read. "Strike … Gundam."

Next, Kira delved deep into the root of the OS, modifying components that dictated a vast variety of control elements from weapon output to even the Strike's physical posture. To his utmost chagrin, he discovered that the unit had all along remained stagnant in the default set of configurations for operation in zero-gravity environments. He quickly remedied that, recalibrating the mainframe to account for Earth's gravitational pull and air resistance.

Kira's lips moved in tandem with his fingers, uttering a blow-by-blow account of the ever-expanding list of tasks he had cleared. With each word that escaped his mouth, it was then firmly etched into his brain, such that there was no possibility of repeating resolved tasks. As his tongue rolled the syllables out systematically in a low chant, the rhythm became both a pace-setter for his hurtling mind and a facilitator for stress relief.

"Contact pressure is reduced so I just got to make some adjustments to the spatial geometry, right? No that won't be necessary I'll just …" he grunted, eyeballs swivelling in their sockets as they traced the rapid-fire movements of the virtual modules whistling across the screen. "Estimate increase in resistance set granular factor at minus twenty for friction coefficient next remove dynamic thrust and lower foot anchors at factor of three …"

In all, the partial re-writing of the Strike's OS had expended a mere 21.3 seconds. Of course, the timing transgressed beyond Kira's own expectations by more than one second, but in the end there was still enough time remaining — 8.7 seconds, to be precise — for him to devise a single elaborate counterattack sequence to intercept the incoming threat.

Everyone on board the _Archangel_'s bridge watched with growing consternation as Kira dispatched two of the five attacking BuCUEs with a cold, almost cruel, efficiency. As a haphazard series of burst shots from the hyper impulse cannon nailed two of the aforementioned enemy units, the Strike stomped forth, cannon bearing down upon the cockpits of the fallen machines. At point blank range it pumped, again and again, until their engines ignited, shredding with a fiery vengeance the machines that had enslaved them for the energy they churned.

Casually, the Strike withdrew the barrel of its overheated weapon, throwing just one nonchalant glance down at the charred entrails splayed across the ground before resetting its gaze upon the remnants of the rabble. Three BuCUE units were all that were still unscathed in the aftermath of Kira's savage retaliation, crouched and circling the Strike cautiously even as their commander finally passed down the order to engage with extreme prejudice.

On the other hand, Kira's rampant and outright reckless use of the hyper impulse cannon had taken its toll on the Strike's power banks, burdened as they already had been in maintaining the structural integrity of the Phase Shift armour. Kira tightened his grip on the controls, endeavouring to ignore the series of warning messages blazoning on the screen.

The BuCUE pilots were then reunited with their counterparts about the Strikers, and this time the chopper squadron had burgeoned to nine, their guns whirring menacingly like how canines would typically lick their chops before descending upon their prey. No longer was the enemy interested in investigating the Strike any further; now, it was purely revenge, for their fallen comrades.

Only two more minutes remained before the Strike ceased operation. Kira desperately needed to return to the _Archangel_ for emergency resupply, but the Launcher Strike was all that stood between the enemy and the ship herself.

"_Archangel_," Kira spoke over the radio through gritted teeth, "how long more before takeoff?"

"_Three minutes, tops," _Natarle replied immediately. _"Kira Yamato, your unit is almost out of power. Return to the _Archangel_ stat for resup. We will sortie EVA-00 in your place."_

"No, not now, I'm still fine!" Kira shot back. "You need three minutes? Fine, I can handle three minutes! Just don't deploy EVA-00. Not now!"

The more battles they exposed EVA-00 to, the higher the risk of it ending up in the same gruesome fate as EVA-01, or so Kira thought. No one else should have to go through what Shinji had endured at the hands of his own EVA, not if it could be avoided.

No one.

"_This is no time to be throwing tantrums, Kira Yamato! Retreat to the _Archangel_ now; that's an order!"_

"Please trust me this time," Kira pleaded. "I can do this."

The Strike turned to face the impending horde.

_My power's running out fast, _Kira thought, heart racing. _In order to extend the Strike's operational limit, I'll just have to terminate all unnecessary applications, right?_

He began flipping switches; the first to go were the lights, then the radio, followed by the sonar, thermal scanners, and then, finally, the Phase Shift armour.

_Those BuCUEs have all long been operating with just physical hull armour. If they can fight without Phase Shift, then … can I do the same?_

_I can. No, I must._

_Only then can I get stronger._

Sheathing its power-hungry hyper impulse cannon, the Strike then withdrew its twin combat knives, crouching and poising to counter-attack —

The skies flashed a fierce vermillion, the explosion sending faint pulses coursing through the land. The entire battle jerked to a standstill, as everyone turned their gazes to the skies to witness the dying embers of three utterly ruined and scorched Striker units flutter towards the ground.

Aboard the _Archangel_, the radio crackled to life:

"_Gooooooooooooooooood MORNINGGGGG ~!"_

It was a warship that rose from behind the mountains before everyone, its massive silver hull gleaming under the full moon's luminance. Rivalled by the _Archangel_ only in size, its pods bristled with weaponry of all manner, not to mention the colossal cannon extending from its prow, its signal lights twinkling merrily like the boisterous sparks of celebratory firecrackers.

"Captain of unidentified aircraft," Natarle enunciated into her headset, "identify yourself."

There was a little _beep_, as a video link was established between the _Archangel_ and the mysterious craft. A bespectacled man materialised on the main screen, his greying hair and youthful face bearing sharp contrast to each other as he spoke cheerily, "BBAF-1001 _Avalon_ at your service, designed and constructed by yours truly, Lloyd Asplund, PhD, Camelot, NERV-Japan."

"NERV?" Natarle raised an eyebrow. "You know this person, Katsuragi?"

"Nope," Misato said promptly, shaking her head. "Never seen this nutter in my entire life before. But we do have a branch in Japan. Mostly experimental stuff, though, that we have yet to implement in the EVAs due to either budget issues or sheer impracticality."

She rose from her seat. "Professor Lloyd Asplund. What business do you have here with us?"

Asplund's flippant façade dissolved. "We're here to help," he said grimly. "After all, it is the Evangelions EVA-00 and 01 that you have there in your ship's hold. Mankind's only effective weapon against the Angels … we can't have you down and out so fast in the game, can we? It's a little too early throw in the white towel, I think. Time to show those ZAFT pukes what we're made of."

"What do you have in mind?"

A crooked grin flickered on Asplund's face. "Just sit back and enjoy the show," he said enigmatically. "The party will be starting soon. After all … no man is an island."

And with that he signed off the comms, the ghost of his smile still lingering beneath the starkly blank screen, eerily identical to that of the Cheshire cat as it faded away into nothingness.

* * *

A second ship made its entrance over the horizon, its hull finished with a radically different colour scheme from that of the _Avalon_. The swathes of midnight blue melded perfectly into the encompassing darkness, giving an illusionary impression of prancing fairy lights as its signal beacons flashed intermittently.

"_A141F5, _Ikaruga_, entering the field. Guren, 1__st__ Gekka Squadron, 4__th__ Akatsuki Squadron, standby."_

Kira was then aware of new entrants into the fray; squat, bipedal constructs less than half the Strike's standing height manoeuvring across the terrain with a fraction of the effort exerted by the BuCUEs. Those machines, humanoid in build, crowded the Strike, aggregating into a protective circular formation round Kira.

They all made for a comical sight: a motley group of midgets, all huddled round a giant that could flatten them with its feet. Kira counted seven of those stocky machines, and fleetingly he thought of Snow White and her dwarves.

A communications spike extended from one of the machines, latching onto the Strike's shoulder plate.

"_You there!"_ a sharp feminine voice rang out fiercely. _"Did you kill your radio? We were trying to contact you since the beginning of time!"_

"Ye-yeah, I did —"

"_Just what the hell did you do that for?!" _the voice bellowed, causing Kira to jump in his seat. _"Are you trying to get your comrades killed?"_

"I was running out of power!" Kira protested.

"_You and I are going to have a good chat about this later," _promised the voice. _"Right now, get your ass back to your ship. We'll take over from here."_

"I understand," Kira said immediately, powering up the Strike's thrusters. "I … thank you."

"_For what? Killing those poor folks in the BuCUEs there? Next time, just keep quiet if you don't have anything better to say." _And with that, the operator of the unidentified machine snapped off the comms cable with a sharp twist of its mechanical arm.

* * *

Everyone on board the _Archangel_ watched with bated breath as the battle resumed.

A formation of enemy craft lay beyond the mountains, and it was that which the _Ikaruga_ struck within the first minute of her rendezvous with the _Avalon_. As the ship readied itself for the assault, its starboard launch shaft hung slack, the maglev rails of a linear launch catapult extended from within. A single unit shot out from the depths of the warship, its form but a sparkling diamond against the saturated sky as seen from the _Archangel_'s bridge, its feet tapping nimbly down upon the hardy ground shortly after.

The main screen flashed again; this time the image was that of a woman in familiar beige uniform, hair a vibrant shade of indigo gliding down her neck against sparkling sky-blue irises.

"_Good morning, _Archangel_," _the woman spoke. _"I am Major Cécile Croomy, captain of the _Avalon_, Head of Operations for NERV-Japan."_

"Lieutenant-Colonel Katsuragi Misato, Head of Operations for NERV-HQ. With me is Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel, OMNI Enforcer, vice-captain," Misato said with a tight smile. "I suppose it is safe to assume by now that you're on our side?"

"_Most certainly,"_ Major Croomy said briskly. _"In fact, what you're seeing right now is our first joint retaliatory strike against the ZAFT military. They have been after our heads for quite some time; it's now our turn to return our dues. Our Knightmare Frames might be 'lil shorties, but woe betide you if you underestimate them!"_

"Knight … wait, what?"

"_Knightmare Frames,"_ Major Croomy repeated. _"Our very own line of mobile suits, jointly developed between the Order of the Black Knights and us." _Chuckling a little at the look of growing confusion on Misato's face, she then said, _"The rest I'll explain to everyone after the operation. Until then, we wish ourselves the best of luck." _She logged off.

Nonplussed, Misato turned her attention to the battle unravelling between NERV, the aforementioned Order of the Black Knights — assuming that actual knights still existed in this time and age — and ZAFT.

The humanoid build of the Knightmare Frames, as Major Croomy had called them so, was about the only feature that they and ZAFT's mass-production GINNs shared. Other than that, the Knightmares bore a radically deviant design from that of a typical bipedal mobile suit, the most glaring difference being their height.

Initial estimates put forth by the _Archangel_'s computers gauged the average height of a Knightmare Frame at an astounding five metres, not taller than most two-story buildings. Conversely, a GINN stood at an upward of twenty-one metres, and even a BuCUE towered over a single Knightmare at eleven metres.

But where size had failed countless mobile armour craft and their operators up in the deep void of space, here it had become the Knightmare Frames' greatest weapon. Misato fleetingly recalled morbid scenes from National Geographic documentaries she had previously watched, depicting voracious hordes of ants swallowing creatures many times their size whole: roaches, tarantulas, even frogs and toads who had been deluded enough to attempt a solo invasion of a fire ant nest.

It was the exact same scenario playing out before Misato's eyes through the live feed from the _Archangel_'s telephoto cameras: all seven Knightmares blazing through the BuCUE formation like a speeding bullet through a tomato in many a high speed photograph, sending the cybernetic canines into sheer pandemonium like when an unknowing skunk wanders into an occupied estate, and then pouncing in deadly unison on that one unit which just happened to be a hair's breadth too close to the Knightmare posse for its own good —

Another design hallmark of the Knightmares, Misato also noticed, was the auxiliary pair of heavy-duty tyres attached to joints embedded at their ankles. They all appeared to enjoy separate connections to energy feeds from the units' engines, augmenting them with what the Strike lacked under Earth's atmosphere: speed and agility. Those wheels, while allowing each Knightmare the luxury of gliding across unforgiving terrain, also compensated for a humanoid's structure's relatively high centre of gravity by having two extra points of contact with the ground.

_Those Knightmares, _Misato thought with a start. _Most probably, they are operated by Coordinators … right? _But where in the world could Major Croomy and the rest even begin to recruit anyone willing to raise a weapon against their own people? Or had the Order of the … _whatever _finally managed to do what even the combined efforts of Earth's two largest superpowers couldn't even hope to imagine?

Of course, that was assuming the enemy pricks were from ZAFT in the first place.

As the battle drew to a close, Misato edged her musings to the back of her head. Across the valley she saw, the surviving BuCUEs scarpering at the triggering of the triple retreat flares, their metaphorical tails between their legs, the Knightmare Frame squadron sheathing their weapons, their pilots' exhaustion seemingly emerging on their mechanical poker faces.

The team that had swooped in to save the _Archangel_'s day had numbered seven; seven was the total that still stood amidst the wreckage and scars of combat slashing across the land.

Down on the ground, the pilots of the Type-3F Gekka Knightmare Frames ejected from their cockpits one by one, sheens of sticky sweat visible beneath their protective helmets. Among the seven, one stood out as starkly as a husky would amongst a pack of dachshunds.

It was not the fact that the particular pilot was the only female in the group, nor was it the vivid gold of her shoulder-length hair, making her also the only blond Knightmare operator in the entire squad. No, it was how apparent it was that the woman was the leader of the team there, parked atop the smouldering ruins of a forest, even if there were no physical indication at all that she bore any post of leadership. The almost-reverent look that her comrades reserved only for her, like how a palace subject would for his or her monarch, was more than enough.

One of the pilots whipped off his helmet, calling out in a jovial tone in spite of his dishevelled demeanour, "Hey, Cap'n! The Major's finally giving the retreat order. Seems like we have visitors!"

Coincidentally, the female captain of the Gekka squadron was the one who had given Kira the telling off about the complete idiocy of deactivating his radio in the middle of an armed operation. Flashing a wink at her teammate, Cagalli Yula Athha, daughter of ex-Representative of Orb, Uzumi Nara Athha, then said, "Visitors, you say? What are we waiting for, then?"

Cagalli popped her helmet back on, bracing to dive back into her cockpit, though it was not before declaring,

"Last one back at the Geofront's a noob!"

* * *

A/N: The above is an idea that I had in my mind since the "beginning of time", a quote from our dear Cagalli, but if you do not like the idea of rest assured that it does not occupy the main plot. I'm sure you all are tired of Desert Dawn by now (hopefully), so I thought I'd do something different.

A/N 2: School's starting, so unfortunately the gaps in between updates will have to be lengthened. PHASE-19 will be posted on **29 September 2013**, and subsequently on the last Sunday of every month.


End file.
